Master of Ki
by Leif Johnson
Summary: A new boy arrives in Nerima, and he practices an interesting art; complete use of ki attacks. After settling into the unsettling life that comes with living in Nerima, he learns how deep a person's ki abilities really go.
1. That's Life, Deal with It

Master of Ki  
  
Chapter 1  
  
By Leif Johnson  
  
Disclaimer: This humble (I AM LEIF JOHNSON, EXPERT AUTHOR AND MASTER OF   
IC-NESS!) author did not create the characters in this story that share   
the same names as any character in Ranma 1/2. The rest are mine.  
  
***  
  
Ranma was lying on his futon, sleeping peacefully. He turned slightly,   
and smiled as a small beam of sunshine landed on his cheek.  
  
"WAKE UP, BOY!"  
  
"GYAAHH!!!" Ranma screamed as he jumped up and clung to the ceiling.  
  
"Glad to see you awake! Time for early-morning training!" Genma called,   
grinning.  
  
Ranma responded by dropping to the floor and grabbing at Genma, who   
jumped out of his reach. He bounced off the wall and came flying at   
Ranma, who grabbed his foot and tossed him out the window. He quickly   
threw on his clothes and jumped out after him, calling insults.  
  
Akane sat up and groaned. She pulled the earplugs out and tossed them   
on her desk. "I hoped they would work better..." She got out of bed and   
yawned. "Idiots. You'd think they could be a little quieter..."  
  
***  
  
A boy wandered the streets of Nerima. He wore a worn brown leather   
jacket over a blue featureless t-shirt. He stuffed his hands into the   
pockets of his green Maoist pants. His black hair, tied in a ponytail,   
covered his wandering eyes. He glanced at the buildings he passed,   
which were giving the essence of tranquility in the early-morning   
light.  
  
Suddenly, he heard the sounds of battle. Snapping his head up, he   
rushed to the noise. Hearing it coming from the other side of a wall,   
he looked for a way to scale it. He stopped when he heard a loud   
*WHUMP* of something colliding with the wall on the opposite side, and   
he could only imagine the violence. *Which must, of course,* he thought   
as he grabbed a handhold in the wall, *be stopped.*  
  
As he pulled himself over the top of the wall he noticed the happenings   
in the yard and nearly fell off. A short pig-tailed girl was chasing a   
panda while being chased by an irate girl wielding an enormous mallet.   
The first girl jumped up on the wall, right where the boy was half-on,   
and leaped away quickly to dodge the mallet strike. The boy was not so   
lucky.  
  
The aforementioned blow tore him away from his perch and sent him   
crashing into the door of the building across the street.  
  
All Akane noticed was that her mallet had hit something that was *not*   
Ranma, but shrugged it off.  
  
***  
  
Ranma walked along the fence, whistling. Akane looked at him curiously.   
When they reached school, Akane looked around, confused. "Where's   
Kuno?" she asked no one in particular.   
  
"Okinawa," Ranma replied smugly. Akane turned to him.  
  
"Why? And how would you know?" she asked.  
  
Ranma chuckled. "I sent him a postcard from 'the pig-tailed girl'   
saying she was in Okinawa on vacation, trying on new swimsuits at the   
beach. I doubt he'll be back very soon. Ha!" Akane just shook her head.   
  
"It'll be nice to have him out of my hair, for once," she mused.  
  
They both rushed into the building before they were late.  
  
In class, Miss Hinako bounced in followed by a boy no one had seen   
before. "Good morning, class! This is a new student from Kyoto! Please   
introduce yourself."  
  
The boy stood in front, and glanced over the crowd quickly. He cleared   
his throat, and said, "My name is Kijo Kuraki. I came here from Kyoto,   
but I travel often. Pleased to meet you." He had black hair that went   
slightly past his shoulders, tied in a ponytail. He wore a blue long-  
sleeved shirt and had green Maoist pants and was sporting the usual   
slipper-shoes. He also had an ice-pack on his forehead and seemed to be   
nursing a major bruise.  
  
Miss Hinako nodded cheerily. "You may be seated."  
  
Kijo sat down and Miss Hinako started the day's lesson. The students   
watched him carefully for signs of doing something especially   
interesting, then focused back on the lesson when he didn't. They   
didn't notice him glaring at Akane.  
  
***  
  
At lunchtime, Kijo looked all over the school grounds, then wandered   
over to a table with no one sitting at it. He scanned the area, trying   
to get a feel for who these people were, how they acted, and what went  
on. A few people cast a glance his direction, but didn't give it much   
thought. He chewed his sandwich slowly.  
  
***  
  
After school was out, Kijo stepped outside and leaned against the   
building, watching students file outside. His eyes widened when he saw   
the girl who had hit him earlier pull out a huge mallet and pound a   
boy's head into the ground, and was very surprised when a man in a   
tacky Hawaiian outfit showed up and ran around with shears, and he was   
truly shocked when a girl on a bike slammed through the wall and jumped   
on the boy who had been malleted earlier.  
  
"This is an interesting place..." he mused, biting his fingernails.  
  
He stood up and walked out the gate after the students had mostly   
dissipated, and began wandering around the city he now called home. As   
he strolled down the streets, glancing at signs and stores, he thought,   
*Nerima. Nothing special in that name. Yet another city, or district,   
or whatever, who knows what it will bring?* He sighed, thinking of a   
school he had gone to a few years ago.  
  
*It was... interesting. Lunch was certainly odd. In fact, it caused my   
best friend to gain an enemy. Who'd of thunk it? A feud, born from   
bread.* he stopped and looked at the restaurant up ahead. "Cat Café?"   
he said aloud. He shrugged and walked in. "Why not?"  
  
He strolled in and sat down at a table near a window. He watched the   
inside of the restaurant carefully. A boy in a white robe was scrubbing   
tables and a purple haired girl, who he assumed was the waitress, saw   
him and quickly walked over. "Welcome to Cat Café! Here our menu," she   
said, laying it on his table. He blinked, and slowly picked it up as   
she walked off, never taking his eyes off her.  
  
*Now THAT'S a babe,* he thought. He glanced back at the menu and   
decided to get a deluxe ramen. He glanced over at the boy and saw he   
was scrubbing the tables with his robe. Kijo cocked his head to the   
side and looked up as the girl came back with some water.  
  
***  
  
Kijo dashed out of the restaurant as if the hounds of hell were at his   
heels. "'Who knows what it will bring?' A question born of ignorance.   
The day I see a boy turn into a duck is the day I start taking   
medication." He shivered and slowed down. "Maybe it was a trick," he   
said aloud. "Yeah, a customer entertainment thing. It seemed pretty   
real though..." he shook his head and tugged at his shirt sleeves.  
  
He looked up at the afternoon sun and watched a bird fly in an arc. An   
arc? He looked closer and saw it grow bigger, until he was almost sure   
it was a... human? He rubbed his eyes and looked again as a boy in   
Chinese clothing landed in a nearby fountain. Kijo jumped in surprise   
and jogged over hesitantly.  
  
"Uncute tomboy! Jeez, what's her problem?" someone who was definitely   
NOT a boy shouted as she burst out of the water. Kijo leaped backwards   
in shock.  
  
"Ah? You, he, eh?" he stuttered.  
  
The girl looked at him curiously. "What?"  
  
Rather than reply, Kijo tore down a different street.  
  
***  
  
"I don't know about this place anymore..." Kijo mumbled, tugging on his   
shirt sleeves. "When a boy changes into a duck right before your eyes,   
it's weird." He mumbled an apology as he bumped into a passerby. "But   
when another boy comes flying out of the sky and lands in a fountain,   
it's a miracle he survives."  
  
Feeling a raindrop, he opened the door of a shop and stepped inside.   
"But when he turns into a she, AND is unhurt, it's a sign of insanity.   
MY insanity," he muttered, standing in the middle of the shop.  
  
He looked around, and saw it was a bookstore. "Wonder if there's any   
self-help books," he grumbled before he smacked himself in the head.   
"Calm down, Kijo, you're not going mad," he assured himself. "You're   
just under stress. Yeah, that's it, stress. Well why SHOULDN'T I be   
stressed? I mean with what happened it China..." he trailed off and   
shuddered. "Stop, Kijo. You came here to forget."  
  
"May I help you?" a voice called from a dark hallway.  
  
Kijo turned, startled. "Uh, no, just lookin'," he said, peering into   
the shadows.  
  
A middle aged man with short brown hair and glasses stepped out. He   
nodded and said, "Well, let me know if you need anything!" Kijo nodded   
absent-mindedly and turned to the bookshelves.  
  
He ran his fingers along the spines of books, slowed, and pulled a book   
out. He read the title out loud, "How to Overcome You Fear of   
Heights," and laughed. "They wrote a whole book on that?" he chuckled,   
putting it back on the shelf.   
  
He suddenly lost his humor and sighed as he leaned against a bookshelf   
tiredly. *Can I really escape the madness? I don't think I can. It   
follows me, attaches to me, like a leech. But, I'm safe here, right?*   
He glanced around the quiet, peaceful bookstore, and looked down at his   
travel-worn shoes. *Right.*  
  
"Have a nice day!" the man called as Kijo walked out of the store.  
  
"Whatever," he mumbled. He was relieved to see that the rain had   
stopped.  
  
*What if people become suspicious? What if they find out I've never   
actually been to Kyoto? Will they confront me? Will I have to tell   
them?* he shivered and tugged at his sleeve. *You're being paranoid,   
Kijo.* He briefly waited for a traffic light, and crossed the street   
quickly, not hearing the sounds around him. He was lost in his own   
world, and didn't have time for intrusions.  
  
*What if... HE came after me?* He shivered so hard at the thought his   
teeth chattered. *I'd better stop.*  
  
He was beginning to get hungry again, and looked around for a close   
restaurant, and smiled when he found one. He walked through the door,   
looking around rapidly. There was only one customer, a girl.  
  
In fact, he noticed, she was the same girl he had seen in the fountain!   
He nervously tugged at his collar. He slowly walked up to the counter.  
  
"I can't BELIEVE she tries to feed me that stuff! I'd prefer SEPPUKU to   
dying from Akane's cooking!" the girl exclaimed as she wolfed down   
another okonamiyaki. The girl behind the counter nodded   
sympathetically while Kijo sat down at a stool.  
  
"A special, or something," he said softly as he glanced at the girl on   
the stool.  
  
"Sure," the cook said as she poured more batter on the grill. "Say,   
you're new here, right? Kino?"  
  
"Kijo," he corrected, turning down his collar. "Yeah, I just came from   
Kyoto."  
  
"Well, welcome to Nerima. Here ya go," she said as she handed him a   
plate.  
  
"Thanks," he mumbled as he snapped his chopsticks apart. "You would   
be?" he asked, stuffing the warm food in his mouth.  
  
"Ukyo Kuonji," she greeted, handing the other girl another dish. "This   
is Ranma," she added, jerking a thumb at the girl, who was currently   
shoveling in the next batch.  
  
"Mmmph," Ranma commented.  
  
"Well, thanks for the food, Ucchan, and can I get some hot hater?"   
Ranma asked, finishing.  
  
"Sure, Ranma," Ukyo said warmly, as she filled a glass.  
  
Neither of them had noticed Kijo continually casting nervous glances at   
Ranma. This was PROOF that his hallucination was real. He was   
raising the chopsticks to his mouth as Ukyo tossed the water on her.   
Kijo's chopsticks snapped in half and he immediately began choking on   
his food.  
  
Both Ukyo and Ranma turned to him, as if just noticing he was there.   
Kijo swallowed his food and fell backwards off the stool. He stood up   
quickly, backing off. "You... you're..." he stuttered, pointing a   
shaking finger.   
  
"Hey, whoa, calm down," Ukyo said, waving her hand.  
  
"CALM DOWN?!?" he shouted and dashed out of the restaurant.  
  
Ukyo stared after him. "Geez! He just took off... without... paying!   
Hey, he didn't pay!" she shouted.  
  
***  
  
Kijo was running again, to his house. "I went here to get AWAY from   
madness," he huffed as he neared his home. "Not to see more of it!"  
  
He dashed into his house and flopped down on the couch. "There must be   
a logical explanation for this. Maybe I'm overreacting. After all, that   
was some pretty weird stuff in China..." He shuddered and lay back on   
his couch. "I just need a nice, long, rest, that's all." With that, he   
went up to his room and tried to fall asleep at five o' clock in the   
afternoon.  
  
***  
  
The next day at school, the students noticed that Kijo walked into the   
classroom very carefully, as if something would attack him upon   
entrance. He sat down slowly, not looking at anyone. He was wearing his   
jacket, and the collar was turned up. He gripped the edge of the desk   
absent-mindedly.  
  
At lunchtime, he sat down at an empty table, and took a deep breath.   
*Of course there's a good explanation,* he thought. *There HAS to be.*  
  
"I hear you've run across our secret."  
  
He looked up quickly and saw a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a gleam in her eye standing above him. "Umm... what?" he ventured.  
  
She held out her hand and said calmly, "6600 yen."  
  
"WHAT?!" Kijo exploded, standing up.  
  
"Okay, 3300," the girl said with a smile.  
  
"Deal!" Kijo cried, reaching for his wallet. "Much better."  
  
Nabiki smiled. Aw, the slow-witted type. She snatched the bills and   
handed him a booklet. "You know, they DO give these things out free,"   
she said, walking off.  
  
Kijo gaped at her departing figure, then smacked himself in the   
forehead. After quickly examining the booklet advertising Jusenkyo   
Training Grounds, he sat down slowly. "Weird," he said softly, then   
shrugged, accepted it, and got back to his lunch.  
  
He took a bite out of his sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully as he   
scanned the school grounds. His gaze stopped at the gate, just as a boy   
with a large backpack stumbled through. He looked at his attire a   
moment before spitting out his sandwich. "Wha...? God, it must be!" He   
jumped up and dashed over.  
  
"RYOGA!!" he yelled, running as fast as he could.  
  
Ryoga looked up and saw a boy in a brown leather jacket running up to   
him, shouting his name. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed his umbrella   
until he heard the boy shout something else.  
  
"IT'S ME! KIJO!!"  
  
His eyes widened and he dropped the umbrella. "K-Kijo?" he said,   
disbelieving.  
  
"Yeah!" Kijo yelled as he reached him. "I can't believe I found you   
here! How's it been?"  
  
Ryoga grabbed both his shoulders and looked him in his eyes, his own   
shimmering. "Awful! But that's a whole other story. It's great to see   
you again!"  
  
Ranma's chopsticks never made it to his mouth. "Uh?" he said   
intelligently, staring at the pair. It was pretty obvious that they   
were good friends, which was a surprise to Ranma. He had figured that   
Ryoga was too pig-headed to make friends.  
  
Kijo hesitated when he heard the bell ring, then shook his head and   
walked out the gate with Ryoga.  
  
Ranma gazed after them thoughtfully for a while before entering the   
building.  
  
***  
  
"So, you find the guy you were looking for?" Kijo asked casually. They   
were currently walking through a quiet neighborhood.  
  
Ryoga looked at him curiously. "Huh?"  
  
Kijo rolled his eyes. "Come on, the guy you followed to China? Over a   
missed duel? Geez, talk about overreacting."  
  
"Hey!" Ryoga yelled indignantly. "He ran out on it!"  
  
"After waiting three days! It ain't his fault you couldn't find your   
way out of a room with one door," he taunted.  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
"Heh. Still a sore spot? I didn't think you'd just accept it."  
  
"Who could?" Ryoga scoffed.  
  
"You might have a point."  
  
They arrived at Kijo's house, and Kijo offered to let Ryoga use the   
furo. "I mean, when was the last time you got a chance to find one,   
much less use one?" he justified. Ryoga growled, then accepted.   
  
In the bathroom, Kijo splashed the cold water on himself, and shivered.   
He looked over at Ryoga, who was just standing there, fidgeting. "Well,   
come on man, just get washed up so you can use the furo!"  
  
Ryoga looked around nervously, then dropped down beside him. "I think I   
can show you this. You promise you won't tell anyone?" Kijo narrowed   
his eyes. "That depends."   
  
"Within reason?" Ryoga pleaded. Kijo nodded.   
  
"Sure," he said.  
  
Ryoga walked over to the cold water faucet, and filled a bucket. "You   
ever hear of Jusenkyo?" Kijo shook his head. Ryoga took a deep breath   
and continued. "It's the Cursed Springs Training Grounds. It's filled   
with hundreds of pools. Each one has a different curse. If you fall in   
one of those springs, you become cursed with the form of whatever   
drowned there. Hot water will change you back, but cold water will turn   
you into your cursed form."  
  
Kijo nodded in understanding. "So what spring did you fall in?"  
  
Ryoga picked the bucket up, and splashed himself.  
  
Kijo stared at the little black pig sitting on the floor, looking as   
forlorn as it possibly could. Kijo picked him up and tossed him in the   
furo. "Hey!" Ryoga shouted as he burst from the surface. "Don't do   
that!"  
  
"Sorry. Jeez, so what's it like being cursed?"  
  
Ryoga clenched his fist. "It's hell! Wild animals, hungry farmers,   
traps, and this helpless form, it's awful!"  
  
Kijo nodded sympathetically. "I bet." He leaned back in the relaxing   
water. "So tell me, what happened when you finally caught up with that   
guy?"  
  
Ryoga's demeanor instantly darkened. "You wouldn't believe it. The HELL   
he's put me through..."  
  
"Whoa," Kijo said, raising his hands. "Back up."  
  
Ryoga sighed, and said, "His name is Ranma, and he's a jerk. HE cursed   
me, and he teases me about it! He tries to keep me away from the girl I   
love, and is always tormenting her!"  
  
Kijo cocked his head to the side. "He's really that bad?"  
  
Ryoga nodded solemnly.   
  
Kijo straightened up. "I can't believe anyone could be so dishonorable   
and cruel! He did all that to you? Geez, what a jerk."  
  
Ryoga smiled. Here was someone who was mad at Ranma for his sake! He   
now had a friend, a real friend!  
  
Ryoga added for good measure, "He also has several girls hanging all   
over him, and always is harassing Akane. She doesn't deserve him..."  
  
"Of course not," Kijo said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Who's   
Akane?" he asked, almost as an afterthought.  
  
"She's the one I love," Ryoga said quietly.  
  
"I see," Kijo said, stepping out of the bath. "Do you go to school?" he   
asked suddenly.  
  
Ryoga looked a little sheepish, and answered, "No..." Kijo waved him   
off.   
  
"It's OK, I understand. Say, I know you don't really have a place you   
can call home, so how about you stay here? Don't you dare refuse," he   
added, looking him in the eye. Ryoga stared at him, then broke into a   
grin.   
  
"Thanks," he said softly.   
  
"And, If you stay here, I can lead you to school!" Kijo added.  
  
Ryoga looked up at Kijo. "You'd really do that... for me?"  
  
Kijo grinned. "What are friends for?"  
  
Ryoga smiled. *Friends... I have a friend.* "Yeah, Kijo.".  
  
Kijo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now that that's settled, let's get   
to bed. It's been a fun day. You can sleep in here," he said, gesturing   
to a room across the hall from his own.  
  
"Good night!" he called as he shut the door.  
  
Ryoga lied down on the bed and took his shoes off. He gave a silent   
thanks to Kami-sama for his generosity.  
  
***  
  
Ryoga woke up and looked around groggily. He was sleeping in an   
unfamiliar room. *Where on earth am I no- oh yeah.* He sat up and shook   
his head to clear the cobwebs. He stretched and stood up. He was about   
to open the door when...  
  
*SPLASH* "YAAAAH!!!!"  
  
He jumped in surprise, blinked, then dashed across the hall and opened   
the door. Kijo was standing in the middle of the room, breathing   
heavily. He was soaking wet. "What happened?" Ryoga asked, confusion   
clear on his face. Kijo placed his hand on his chest and took a deep   
breath.   
  
"That's my alarm clock," he explained. "You gotta admit, it really   
wakes you up! I'm gonna take a bath. Make yourself some breakfast.   
Remember! Whatever you do, do NOT step outside!" He walked into the   
hallway. "I'd never find you again."  
  
Ryoga shrugged and walked down the stairs. He wandered all over and   
finally found a door. He opened it and almost stepped through, then saw   
it was the back door. *Don't go outside!* he reminded himself sharply   
and continued searching. He found the living room, the pantry, (he   
shuddered violently when he saw the can of Pork 'n Beans) the basement   
(*That's funny, I don't remember walking down any stairs...*) and the   
living room again. He sighed in despair and kept looking. Finally, he   
found the kitchen.  
  
Relieved, he opened the refrigerator, and pulled out some rice. He made   
up a standard breakfast, and walked out the door to the dining room.   
Wait, that was the pantry. No, that's the closet. No, that's the living   
room. No, that's the closet again. Ah! There it was!  
  
He sat down at the table and looked up to see Kijo sitting down with a   
bowl. It was filled with rice, noodles, meat, vegetables, and other   
assorted foods. He set it down on the table in front of him.   
"G'mornin'," Ryoga yawned.  
  
Kijo took a bite and asked, "Did you find the kitchen all right?"  
  
Ryoga shrugged. "Sort of. By the way, is it possible to get into your   
basement without walking down the stairs?" he asked, his chopsticks   
poised in front of his mouth.  
  
Kijo stared at him. "I don't think so..."  
  
Ryoga shrugged. "That's odd then."  
  
Kijo shook his head in slight amazement and went back to his breakfast.  
  
***  
  
Ryoga looked at the clock as he set his bowl down. "What time do we   
have to be at school?"  
  
"Nine o' clock," Kijo grunted, finishing his meal.  
  
Ryoga groaned. "Aw, we're gonna be late! We have to be there in five   
minutes!"  
  
Kijo shrugged. "So? We're not gonna be late, trust me."  
  
Ryoga glared at him. "How?"  
  
Kijo stood up and picked up his backpack. "I'll show you. Get your   
pack."  
  
Ryoga dashed over to his pack, strapped it on, and dashed out the front   
door where Kijo was waiting. He smiled and gestured to two loops on the   
back of his pack. "Grab on to those, and hold on tight."  
  
Ryoga did as he was told, and looked confused. "Now what?"  
  
Kijo concentrated, then bent his knees a little. "Hold on," he   
muttered. "YAH!" he shouted as he suddenly rocketed into the air.   
  
Ryoga's eyes widened and he held on for dear life. "Jeezus, you're   
flying!"   
  
Kijo nodded, a huge grin on his face. "I love doing this! Do you have   
any idea how much fun it is?" Ryoga shook his head and looked down.   
They were flying pretty low, a little over 15 feet, albeit pretty fast.   
  
"I can only do it for a short time, though!" Kijo shouted. "It takes up   
a lot of energy!"  
  
Ryoga looked down. "How short a time?" he asked nervously.  
  
"Few seconds," Kijo answered.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Aw shiiit!" Kijo shouted, suddenly diving. He promptly slammed into a   
brick wall, and slid down it onto the sidewalk. Ryoga stood off to the   
side, brushing his sleeves off.  
  
"You okay?" Ryoga asked the misshapen lump on the ground that once was   
Kijo.  
  
"Gnnnnhhh..." he replied.  
  
"You haven't practiced this much, have you," Ryoga stated, already   
knowing the answer.  
  
"Nn Nnh."  
  
***  
  
"My name is Ryoga Hibiki. Nice to meet you."  
  
Miss Hinako nodded. "You may be seated."  
  
He sat down next to Kijo. He wasn't given much more than a second   
glance, but Ranma looked at him oddly. The question was evident on his   
face. *School? Ryoga?*  
  
***  
  
At lunchtime, Ryoga and Kijo began walking towards an empty table,   
chatting.  
  
Kijo looked over to the gate, and saw a boy dressed in kendo garb   
stumble through. He quickly dashed over to them. "You! Strangers! Tell   
me quickly, hath either of thou seen the fair Akane Tendo or my pig-  
tailed goddess? Oh, how thine heart aches for their sweet presence!   
Tell me, where are my loves?" Ryoga and Kijo stared at him, mouths   
gaping.   
  
"Um, they went that way," Kijo said, pointing vaguely.  
  
Kuno dashed off in that direction. "I come for my loves!" he called   
out.  
  
Kijo shook his head. "Now THAT'S a screwball if I ever saw one. Wonder   
who the 'pig-tailed goddess' is?"  
  
Ryoga grinned. "I think I have an idea..."  
  
***  
  
On the coast of China, a young man stepped aboard a ship. He stood   
tall, his muscular frame evident. In his eyes was a determined glint.   
His flowing, elaborately designed clothing held a story in its   
pictures. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood facing the   
wind, letting it blow gently through his hair.  
  
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
He flinched and grit his teeth. "Oh shut up! It isn't funny!" he ground   
out, clenching his fists. The passerby just rushed off, laughing. He   
glanced into a nearby mirror, and glared at his reflection. He would   
have made a majestic figure, if not for the bright, lime-green skin.   
"Curse you, Kuraki, and everything you stand for," he grumbled,   
stalking off.  
  
  
END CHAPTER 1  



	2. Wow, That Blows (up)

Master of Ki  
  
Chapter 2  
  
By Leif Johnson  
  
Disclaimer: This humble (I AM LEIF JOHNSON, EXPERT AUTHOR AND MASTER OF   
IC-NESS!) author did not create the characters in this story that share   
the same names as any character in Ranma 1/2. The rest are mine.  
  
***  
  
Kijo concentrated.  
  
Sweat dripped from his forehead. His eyes were unblinking, focused,   
oblivious to the rest of the world. A soft white glow was already   
coming from his hands, but that was only the beginning. Slowly, it   
broke up into little patches of light dotting his hands. Ever so   
slightly, they changed, and separated. Each white patch became several   
patches of color; a prism.  
  
Letting out a small sigh, he held his hands close together, palms open   
and facing each other. The patches began to stick out, farther from his   
skin, until one suddenly arced across the open space and latched onto   
another patch of the same color. The others soon followed suit. He   
slowly shifted his hands, the arcs dancing noiselessly between his   
hands.  
  
Satisfied, he held them up for his audience to see clearly. Ryoga and   
two other boys looked on in awe as his handiwork suddenly vanished, and   
Kijo let out a long breath. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked   
up at the three, smiling.  
  
"Awesome!" cried Hiroshi.  
  
"Amazing," added Daisuke.  
  
"Wow," Ryoga muttered.  
  
The other two had wandered over the other day to chat, and had   
immediately become fascinated with his martial arts style.  
  
***  
  
"You see," Kijo had explained, "My family has a special style based on   
a family trait."  
  
"Wuzzat?" Daisuke asked, leaning forward.  
  
"We all have amazing ki capacities," Kijo answered, "which go far   
beyond what any normal person could achieve."  
  
"Wow, really?" Hiroshi asked, resting his elbows on the desk.  
  
Kijo nodded. "Yep. We still have to learn it, but it is a little easier   
for us. Because nearly the entire style is based on ki attacks, some of   
the big fights are pretty fun to watch," he had said, grinning. Then,   
the teacher had thrown a handful of erasers at them, so the   
conversation had been cut short.  
  
***  
  
Ryoga gestured to Kijo's hands. "So what was the meaning of that? I   
mean, it was neat, but what good is it in a fight?"  
  
Kijo glanced down at his palm. "My mom taught me that. She's real big   
on impressive displays, light shows, and illusions. She loves the   
flashy things. It's mostly for amusement."  
  
Ryoga nodded, picking up his bento. "I guess so," he mused, chewing on   
a beef strip.  
  
Hiroshi and Daisuke processed what they had seen and ran it through   
their heads until it came to a certain department that all their   
thoughts ended up in. "I wonder if it impresses the girls..." Daisuke   
pondered. Hiroshi nodded, already considering the possibility.  
  
Ryoga ignored them. "Know any more tricks like that?" he asked Kijo.   
Kijo nodded.  
  
"A couple," he answered. "But they can wait."  
  
"Aw, c'mon!" Daisuke whined, momentarily forgetting about girls.  
  
Kijo shook his head. "Forget it. That really tires you out, you know."  
  
Daisuke crossed his arms. "You suck," he grumbled, sulking.  
  
Kijo laughed. "Too bad for you guys, then," he said as he stood up.   
"Back to class, bell's ringing."  
  
They all stood up and slowly walked over to the entrance. Suddenly, a   
voice boomed across the school grounds.  
  
"KUUURRRAAAAKIIIII!!!"  
  
Kijo stopped and turned around quickly. He blinked. He blinked again.   
He rubbed his eyes and blinked a third time. "Eh?"  
  
A boy stood in the gate, tense with barely-controlled rage. He wore   
beautiful clothing, vibrant in its design, as if the tailor had put his   
very being into its fabric. He was, no questions asked, dressed to   
impress. His shirt hung loose, and was a maroon color with elaborate   
designs sewn into it. It was embroidered with golden tread, some of   
which hung off in ropes. His pants were similarly designed, and his   
shoes were lined with a gold trim. His spiky hair was jet black, half-  
covered by a Maoist cap, which was green with a red star on the front.   
His bangs hung over his forehead. All of this was barely noticeable,   
however, next to the most glaringly obvious feature of his self: he was   
green.  
  
His skin, all of it, was not just any green, but a bright, vibrant,   
NEON green. He stood out like a lime in a glacier.  
  
Getting no response from Kijo, he stalked across the grounds towards   
him. "You thought you could escape? Just run off? You were WRONG! NO   
ONE can simply walk away from doing THIS to someone!" he shouted,   
jerking a thumb at his face.  
  
"Uh..." Kijo finally got out.  
  
"You don't remember me? Figures," the boy grumbled, crossing his arms.   
"Pen Zan, 'the short fuse'? Sound familiar?"  
  
"Oh!" Kijo cried suddenly. "I remember! But, how'd you get, you   
know...." he trailed off, gesturing helplessly.  
  
"How can you even ASK that question? YOU did this to me!" Pen fairly   
screamed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to live like this,   
everyone either backing off or laughing at you? People don't take me   
seriously, or are too afraid to talk to me. I'm a freak now!" Pen   
clenched his fisted and gazed up at the sky, his eyes shimmering.  
  
Kijo scratched his head in obvious confusion. "Um, I don't know what   
you're talking about..." he mumbled.  
  
"Remember?" Pen asked impatiently. "Your last day?"  
  
"What about it?" Kijo asked, tilting his head to the side.  
  
Suddenly, Pen grabbed the front of Kijo's shirt and held his face close   
to his own. "You botched your test. You ran off, leaving pandemonium in   
your wake! And THIS happened to me!"  
  
"Kijo, what the heck is he talking about?" Ryoga interjected   
impatiently.  
  
"Yeah, what's with Mr. Jolly Green Giant here?" Hiroshi said, furrowing   
his brow.  
  
"Watch it..." growled Pen.  
  
"So what's the story?" Daisuke butted in.  
  
"If you set me down, I'm sure it can all be explained, heh heh," Kijo   
nervously said, glancing down at Pen's fist. Pen let him drop to the   
ground, and they both told the story with a bit of glaring from Pen.  
  
"Well, it started when I was working in a labor camp in China..." Kijo   
began.  
  
"He messed up a test and was working off the damage expenses," Pen   
added.  
  
Kijo hmphed. "Well, true. But that's beside the point. They were all   
engineers of sorts, and Pen Zan here was kinda good with..."  
  
"I was EXCELLENT with explosives," Pen growled. "I was the best there."  
  
"Whatever," Kijo muttered. "Right, so that's all I know. How'd you   
turn, heh heh, green?"  
  
"This is NOT a laughing matter!" Pen roared, then glanced around and   
took a deep breath. "Recall your last day."  
  
"Eh?" Kijo said, thinking.  
  
***  
  
Kijo sat at a table during lunch break, fiddling with a mess of   
machinery. "Hey Kijo, what's that for?" one of his partners asked,   
wandering over.  
  
Kijo glanced up from his work. "It's not done, but it's just another   
test bomb. They wanted me attach a few things," he explained.  
  
"They actually trusted YOU to do that?" the other man asked in   
disbelief.  
  
"Sheesh, make one mistake and no one lets you... ACK!" he cried, as the   
bomb suddenly lit up. "Here!" he cried, tossing it to the other man.  
  
"Nononono, it's yours!" he shrieked, tossing it back.  
  
Kijo squeaked and dashed off in a panic.  
  
***  
  
Pen Zan flicked an insect off of his sleeve and lifted his sandwich. *I   
wonder when that wretch Kuraki is done here? He irritates me.* Pen   
shook his head and opened his mouth to take a bite.  
  
"AHH!! TAKEITTAKEITAKEIT!!!" Kijo shrieked as he dashed by the table,   
dropping the blinking contraption on Pen's sandwich.  
  
"Eh?" Pen muttered, raising an eyebrow as he lifted it up. He suddenly   
realized that the other occupants of the table had disappeared.   
"Kiiiijoooo...." he growled, clenching his fist, causing a piece of   
fish to slip out from between the bread.  
  
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*  
  
***  
  
"Eh heh heh... Methinks I've worked off the damages by now," Kijo   
laughed weakly as he ran away from the camp, clutching his belongings.  
  
"KUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAKIIIIIIII!!!"  
  
***  
  
Kijo stared at Pen with wide eyes. He was acutely aware of the looks   
being directed at him. "Eh heh heh... who'd 'ave thunk it, eh? Ah ha   
ha... oh boy," Kijo laughed weakly, scratching the back of his neck and   
tugging at his sleeves like mad.  
  
Pen turned around. "I came here for revenge, so, Kijo Kuraki, I   
challenge you." So saying, he half turned and tossed a piece of paper   
at Kijo, who fumbled with it and nearly dropped it. Pen walked stiffly   
out the gates.  
  
Kijo quickly scanned the challenge letter, and stuffed it in his   
pocket. He looked around at all the faces staring at him. "Um, I can't   
believe I made such a stupid mistake?" he mumbled.  
  
***  
  
"So how exactly did you end up in a labor camp, anyway?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Kijo sighed, watching his feet dangled over the tree branch. "I messed   
up one of their tests. Kinda wrecked the camp. So they made me work for   
them to pay off the damages."  
  
"Okay, but what about that Pen guy? Is he good?" Ryoga urged, snapping   
off a twig.  
  
"I dunno," Kijo sighed. "I didn't know he even fought. The only things   
he ever cared about were explosives and his appearance."  
  
Ryoga tossed the twig aside. "So you have no idea how he fights?   
Great," he muttered.  
  
"Hey," Kijo said defensively, "don't you think I can do this? He hasn't   
seen me fight either, so he doesn't have an advantage. Besides, I can   
fight pretty good."  
  
"If you say so," Ryoga said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"And I do," Kijo confidently said, lifting his chin slightly.  
  
***  
  
Kijo stood in the arena, watching his opponent. Pen Zan stood perfectly   
still, glaring mildly at Kijo through half-lidded eyes. He was wearing   
a black shirt with wide, baggy sleeves, and black jeans. "Are you   
ready, Kuraki?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Whenever," Kijo casually replied. Pen gave no answer and assumed a   
flexible stance. Kijo began to charge up his aura. Pen suddenly rushed   
forward and swung at Kijo's mid-section. Kijo jabbed his fist forward   
and felt it slam into a blast-shield. He felt Pen tap his forehead and   
saw him jump backwards. *Dang! He's fast!* he thought, then heard the   
hissing sound.  
  
Looking down, he noticed the stick of dynamite hanging around his neck.   
"Oh sh-"  
  
*BOOOM*  
  
Pen stood quietly, unblinking eyes focused on the cloud. Peering in, he   
saw nothing, but...   
  
"HYAH!"  
  
A large yellow orb flew out of the cloud and slammed into a surprised   
Pen. "Umph!" he grunted as the collision carried him backwards. He   
shakily stood up, eventually focusing on a coughing Kijo.  
  
"Ha! Is that the *cough* best you can do?" Kijo called, grinning   
weakly.  
  
"Not by a long shot, you miserable bungling fool," Pen growled and   
grabbed a handful of marbles. He rapidly tossed them in Kijo's   
direction, who easily dodged them. The explosions they made upon   
hitting the ground, however, were more difficult to avoid.  
  
"Ack!" Kijo cried as one blast singed him. Quickly grabbing a handful   
of rocks, he threw them at Pen, each one glowing a bright orange. Pen   
dodged all but one, which slammed into his arm and caused him to drop   
his marbles, but he jumped away before the blasts could hurt him.  
  
"Very good, but this is only beginning!" Pen cried, and whipped out his   
shield as he charged Kijo. Kijo sidestepped him and tried to punch   
behind the shield, but Pen knocked his hand away and thrust the shield   
in his face. Kijo placed his hands against it to toss it away, then   
noticed he was staring right at a detonation charge.   
  
"Not agai-"  
  
*BOOOOM*  
  
Pen closed his eyes as the blast carried him backwards, but he was   
protected from the worst of it. Landing lightly, he tucked the shield   
away and pulled out what appeared to be two scepters. Circling around   
the edge of the cloud, he spotted Kijo's glowing form.   
  
"KI WHIP!" Kijo cried as he lashed forward with a bright red rope of   
energy. It struck the ground where Pen's feet had been a moment earlier   
and sent debris flying.  
  
Kijo looked up and tried to hit Pen as he leapt over his head, dropping   
bombs on his way over. "Oh god..." he muttered through clenched teeth   
as he gave his legs strength enough to leap clear of the blast zone. He   
barely made it. The explosion knocked him off balance, however, and Pen   
was immediately on top of him. After a brief struggle, Kijo threw Pen   
off of him and stood up. "Enough of your..." he trailed off as Pen   
whipped out an object.  
  
He knew he was in trouble the instant Pen lifted his hand. As he   
brought it down to slap the button on the remote, he uttered a quick   
prayer. "Please gods spare m-"  
  
*BOOOOOOOOOM*  
  
Pen leapt up to intercept Kijo's flying-and screaming-form and   
slammed him into the ground. Dropping on top of him, he held his shield   
on top of Kijo and whispered in his ear, "It's over." And, half a   
second before the final bomb exploded, Kijo knew he was right.  
  
***  
  
"Gah!" Ryoga covered his eyes with his forearm and stepped back as the   
explosion rocked the surrounding area. He pulled his arm down and   
frantically watched for a sign of Kijo. After the dust cleared, all he   
saw was Pen getting to his feet next to a huge hole in the ground.   
"Where is he?!" he demanded.  
  
Pen Zan pointed at the hole. Looking in, Ryoga saw a charred figure   
lying in the bottom. "Ack!" he cried and jumped in to get him. He   
glared at Pen as he pulled Kijo out by his limp arm. "Why you..."  
  
Pen shook his head. "Leave it. I beat him, and that's what I came here   
for. Now, I really need a nap, and then I can search for a cure for   
this... mistake," he muttered, gazing at his brightly-colored hand.  
  
Ryoga said nothing and tossed Kijo over his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
"Well, any idea where we are?" Kijo asked, a little too casually.  
  
Ryoga looked around for a familiar landmark... and saw none, of course.   
"Um, no."  
  
"I think I know where we are," Kijo said, still overly-casual.  
  
"What?" Ryoga asked, turning to him. "Where?"  
  
Kijo turned slowly and looked him in the eye. He looked around him,   
looked up at the sky, and back to Ryoga. "WE'RE ON TOP OF A FRIGGIN'   
MOUNTAIN!!!" he screamed, knocking Ryoga backwards.  
  
"Heh, I guess we are," Ryoga chuckled nervously, regaining his balance.  
  
Kijo grumbled something under his breath and looked around. "How on   
EARTH did you get me this far before I woke up?" he muttered angrily.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry! Let's just get out of here! Can't you fly down, or   
something?" Ryoga asked while holding his arms out in a sign of   
apology.  
  
"Not right now! I'm too drained from the fight," Kijo replied sourly.  
  
"Fine then, you'll have to hike," Ryoga said, shouldering his pack.  
  
"I hate you..." Kijo grumbled.  
  
***  
  
"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Nerima?" Kijo asked the farmer   
sitting on his porch in a rocking chair. The man scratched his head and   
'hmmed.'  
  
"I've never heard of it, son," he said, shrugging.  
  
"Uh, then how about Tokyo?" Kijo asked hopefully.  
  
The man looked at Kijo for a long time. "Do you know where you are?" he   
asked carefully.  
  
Kijo snorted. "Not really."  
  
The man leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, right now, you're   
in..."  
  
***  
  
"CHINA!!! FOR GOD SAKES, HOW THE *HELL* DID YOU GET TO *CHINA*?!?" Kijo   
screamed at Ryoga, who was flinching under the onslaught. "I mean, the   
top of a mountain is barely understandable, but the top of a mountain   
in CHINA?!?"  
  
"Heh heh, well..." Ryoga nervously mumbled, his hand scratching at the   
back of his neck.  
  
"AAAAUUGH!! CHINA!!!" Kijo raved.  
  
***  
  
"What's the easiest way to get to Japan from here?"  
"Cross the Sea."  
"Oh, THANK YOU for your generous help. Sheesh."  
  
"What province is this?"  
"You boys lost?"  
"No, I'm asking you because I thought that I might as well bug the   
locals on my little jaunt across the country! Yes, I'm lost."  
  
"Excuse me, but where am I?"  
"You're in Tibet."  
"Oh, bloody hell...."  
  
***  
  
Kijo and Ryoga stood on the hilltop overlooking a desolate valley. A   
light breeze ruffled their haggard features. "Looks like some kinda hot   
springs," Kijo observed dully.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed, even more dully.  
  
"Let's go check it out," Kijo suggested without emotion.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed, with even less emotion.  
  
***  
  
"Welcome, Mr. Customer, to valley of cursed springs, Jusenkyo!" the   
guide greeted, walking out of his office.  
  
"Yeah... wha- Juse- HUH?" Ryoga exclaimed, shaking his head rapidly to   
clear his several-week-long brain fog.  
  
"I said, 'Welcome, Mr. Custo-"  
  
"I heard you! This is really Jusenkyo?" Ryoga asked desperately,   
grabbing the front of the guide's shirt.  
  
"Um, yes sir, it is."  
  
"Take me to the Nannichuan!" Ryoga demanded.  
  
"Okay sir, right this way. Um, you need set me down first."  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
***  
  
"This spring of drowned man," the guide said as they approached the   
spring. "There tragic legend of man who drown in spring... That   
odd..." he trailed off.  
  
Kijo and Ryoga stared into the spring. It was dry. It was empty, and   
dry. Nothing more than a pit in the ground.  
  
"The spring fine just yesterday. I have no idea how this tragedy   
occur," the guide said, lifting his hands and shaking his head back and   
forth. Ryoga ignored him and shook in anger. Anger, and depression. *I   
can't be cured. My cure is gone. Gone, as soon as I get to it.* He   
clenched his fists.  
  
"SHISHI HOKODAN!" Ryoga cried as he launched a huge ball of ki into the   
air. He dropped to his knees and stared into the spring. Just a hole   
now, a hole that swallowed his hope....  
  
"Umm, Ryoga?" Kijo asked tentatively.  
  
"What?" Ryoga replied bitterly.  
  
"Did you just shoot that straight up?"  
  
Ryoga blinked, then all three of them looked upwards at once.  
  
"AAAAAHHH!" Kijo screamed as the blast threw him backwards. The guide   
was knocked into the empty spring, and Ryoga managed to grab onto a   
bamboo pole before he fell in. Kijo was not so lucky. He felt the water   
swallow his body, and groaned inside his head. *This wasn't supposed to   
happen! Not to me! Oh, NO!* He surfaced, and gasped for air. He dragged   
himself out of the pool, not daring to look at himself. What had he   
turned into? He didn't think he wanted to know.  
  
Kijo looked up and saw Ryoga staring at him, open mouthed. He then   
passed out from shock.  
  
***  
  
Kijo woke up in a bed inside the guide's office. Ryoga was sitting at a   
nearby table, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.   
"Ryoga...?" Kijo mumbled, sitting up.  
  
Ryoga looked up. "Yeah?" he asked, absent-mindedly snapping off a piece   
of the table.  
  
"C...could you splash me? Now?" he asked quietly.  
  
Ryoga hesitated, then tossed the contents of a nearby glass over Kijo's   
head.  
  
Kijo breathed out deeply, then looked down at himself. His eyes popped   
out at the sight of the great, curving... belly.  
  
"You fall in spring of drowned redneck," the guide announced as he   
walked in through the door.  
  
Kijo's reply was a loud *BELCH*.  
  
***  
  
"ACK!" Kijo cried as he sat up suddenly. The room was empty. He glanced   
around and shivered. What a freaky dream...  
  
Ryoga walked in the door and, noticing Kijo was awake, nervously   
glanced at his feet. "Um, Kijo, I'm sorry about... losing control..."   
he mumbled, scraping his feet on the floor. Kijo sat up and shook his   
head.  
  
"We all do. But..... A curse. I'm cursed. Joy..." he muttered,   
clenching the sheets of the bed in his fists. He let out a breath and   
let go of the cloth. "What spring...?" he trailed off. He was filled   
with a feeling of dread... Ryoga tossed a glass of water at him,   
spilling the contents over his head. Kijo blinked, then looked down at   
himself.  
  
"Girl. Spring of Drowned Girl," Kijo said dully, no trace of emotion in   
his voice. He looked up and noted curiously that Ryoga was staring at   
her, wide-eyed. "What?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.  
  
"Uhh... Actually... not quite," Ryoga said, sitting down roughly.  
  
"Huh?" Kijo said, furrowing his brow. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I just noticed it now," Ryoga mumbled, twiddling his thumbs. "Changed   
you back too fast to really get a good look..."  
  
"What the heck are you muttering about?" Kijo demanded, annoyed.  
  
Ryoga puffed his cheeks a little as he let out a long breath and leaned   
back in his seat. "Not Spring of Drowned Girl, Spring of Drowned   
Akane."  
  
  
End Chapter 2  



	3. Too Much Spice Spoils the Meal

Master of Ki  
  
Chapter 3  
  
By Leif Johnson  
  
Disclaimer: This humble (I AM LEIF JOHNSON, EXPERT AUTHOR AND MASTER OF   
IC-NESS!) author did not create the characters in this story that share   
the same names as any character in Ranma 1/2. The rest are mine.  
  
***  
  
"Not the Spring of Drowned girl, the Spring of Drowned Akane." Ryoga   
toyed with a pair of chopsticks the guide had left on the table.  
  
"Akane...? The girl you love? But, this means she's... oh..." Kijo   
said, his eyes widening in shock.  
  
"No! No, she's alive," Ryoga said quickly, holding up a hand. "She   
*almost* drowned in the spring, but the magic was so potent it left a   
curse," he explained.  
  
Kijo breathed a sigh. "Thank goodness. For a moment there, I was afraid   
I was going to have to help you through a major emotional crisis...   
Something I don't think I could do." He leaned back against the wall,   
then sat straight up again. He stood up and walked over to a mirror.   
"So this is what she looks like..." he mused, turning slightly to get a   
better look. "Hey!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "That's the   
girl that malleted me that one time!"  
  
"Huh?" Ryoga said, walking over.  
  
"I heard sounds of violence," Kijo explained, pouring a kettle of water   
over himself, "and rushed over to this wall to see if I could stop it.   
I climbed it, and saw her chasing after this other girl... Ranma? And a   
panda. She hit me with the mallet. Hurt like hell," Kijo added,   
frowning.  
  
"Well..." Ryoga said, rolling his eyes, "she always fights with him."  
  
"Hm. Brother and sister?" Kijo asked, flopping down on the bed.  
  
"Of course not!" Ryoga said quickly.  
  
"Oh?" Kijo said, raising an eyebrow. "Then what?"  
  
"They're... engaged," Ryoga said bitterly.  
  
"HUH?!?" Kijo grunted, falling over. "You're going after someone who's   
already *engaged*?" he asked, in disbelief.  
  
"But they hate each other! He treats her badly, and fights with her,   
and goes after other girls!" Ryoga shouted, sitting up straighter.  
  
"I mean, jeez Ryoga, that's really low," Kijo continued, not hearing   
Ryoga. "Trying to woo a girl who's already promised to another... I   
thought better of you..." he rested his elbows on his knees and swung   
his head back and forth, muttering to himself.  
  
"Are you even listening to me?" Ryoga grumbled, bonking Kijo on the   
head.  
  
"Eh?" Kijo said, snapping his head up. "What were you saying?" he   
asked, blinking.  
  
"I said," Ryoga said slowly, clenching his fists, "they hate each   
other, he-"  
  
"You were trying to *justify* yourself?" Kijo cried, shocked. "How can   
you? That's... dishonorable! And wrong! And... something else!" he   
ranted, pacing around the room. "What brought you to this? I never   
suspected you would actually DO something like-"  
  
"THEY DON'T WANT TO BE MARRIED!" Ryoga thundered, slamming his fist on   
the table, knocking over a vase.  
  
Kijo jumped slightly to avoid the spilt water and shook his head.   
"That's not good enough! *I* don't want to be married now, but that   
wouldn't stop me from liking someone!"  
  
"But they don-" Ryoga protested, standing up.  
  
"Ryoga, I'm going away. I'll be back tonight. Think about this, and   
tell me when you finally see the simple fact behind this..." Kijo   
sighed and strode out the door.  
  
Ryoga blinked, staring out the door. "Hey!" he cried suddenly and   
dashed out. "You don't understand..." he trailed off as Kijo hunched   
over. "Kijo!" he growled. Kijo stood rock-steady, not moving a muscle.   
"Kijo, what the hell..." Ryoga grumbled as he walked up to him and   
reached out to smack him over the head. "GYAH!" he cried as Kijo   
rocketed into the air, causing him to stumble backwards. He watched his   
form zip over the tree tops and disappear. Ryoga sighed and unclenched   
his fist. "Now I'll never find him..." he muttered, turning swiftly and   
walked away from the guide's hut.  
  
He stopped, blinked, and turned around. "Ah!" he cried, and rushed past   
it. He stopped, looked around, and spotted it again. He took off again   
and stopped when he realized he was looking out over the springs. "Damn   
it all..." he grumbled and spun on his heel again.  
  
***  
  
Kijo sat on the top of the cliff overlooking the valley, his chin   
resting in his palms. He absently tore the grass surrounding him into   
tiny pieces. "Ryoga, I'd thought better of you..." he said softly,   
gazing out over the legendary training ground. His head snapped up as   
he heard a rustling noise behind him and spun around, focusing on the   
shape hidden by the shadows. Kijo gasped.  
  
A snickering sound emanated from the shape. "It... it's *you*..." Kijo   
choked out, eyes wide. The thing snickered again and stepped out of the   
shadows.  
  
Kijo jumped up in terror as the thing stepped out into the moonlight.   
He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. Groaning out loud, he flopped down   
and threw a clod of dirt at the furry little animal. "Stupid thing..."   
he muttered as it scampered off.  
  
***  
  
Ryoga leaned against the guide's office, arms crossed, glaring at the   
moon, for lack of anything else to glare at. He had a right to glare,   
didn't he? After all, Kijo made it seem like he was doing something   
horribly wrong, when all he was doing was following his heart. So what   
if they were engaged? They hated each other. It was Ryoga who Akane   
held close, and treated kindly. True, he was a pig at the time, and she   
didn't know the truth, but that was beside the point.  
  
Akane needed someone better than Ranma. Ranma was never kind to her, he   
was a womanizer, and an arrogant jerk, among other things. But...   
Although Ryoga would never admit it, he didn't hate Ranma absolutely.   
He had his moments, however few, small, and far between. That was still   
no excuse, he didn't deserve Akane.  
  
Ryoga sighed deeply, and hefted his pack. He felt like a little stroll   
around the springs was in order...  
  
***  
  
Kijo lay on his side, a bit of drool coming from his open mouth. He   
grunted in his sleep as an itch sprang up, and rolled over   
unconsciously. He was awaked abruptly by the branch smacking him in the   
face. "OW!" he cried as he sat up. Or tried to. He screamed and   
hurriedly tried to summon enough energy to keep himself from being   
brutally slammed against the ground below.  
  
It didn't work. "AAWWOOFF!!!" he gasped as his breath was slammed out   
of him like a sledgehammer to the chest. He doubled over clutching his   
stomach and spit out a little bile. He moaned loudly and stood up   
shakily.  
  
"Mental... note..." he gasped, grabbing a nearby stick and using it to   
drag himself towards the guide's office. "Don't... sleep...o.. on..   
cliffssss..."  
  
He collapsed in front of the door and shook his head. After a minute,   
he stood up slowly and placed a hand against the wall for support.   
"Ryoga?" he called. Receiving no answer, he stepped inside and looked   
around. Ryoga was nowhere to be found. He looked over at his pack and   
realized that Ryoga's wasn't there.  
  
"DAMN IT ALL!!! HE'S LOST *AGAIN!*"  
  
A low groan came from a nearby room. "Please Mr. Customer, do not   
scream so loud so early in morning...."  
  
***  
  
Ryoga woke up to the sound of a large animal marching nearby. Whipping   
his head from side to side, his gaze rested on several men riding...   
elephants? White elephants, no less... "Excuse me!" he called out.   
"Where am I?"  
  
The leading man said something in another language to the other man   
riding on his elephant, who replied, "India, sir."  
  
"Damn."  
  
***  
  
On the way to his house via taxi, Kijo wondered where Ryoga was now. He   
had known that trying to find him in a country as big as China would be   
impossible, so he decided to just go home. Ryoga had made it to Nerima   
from China once before, he could do it again, right? He glanced out and   
briefly watched a young man cross the street behind him. He turned away   
just to miss him step on a manhole cover and fall through with a shriek   
as it crumpled under his feet.  
  
Maybe Ryoga wasn't even in China?  
  
***  
  
Ranma sat on a rooftop, sulking. *That uncute tomboy.* He growled and   
lay on his back. *I didn't even DO anything.* He frowned. *I think.*  
  
"Shampoo! I knew I'd find you!"  
  
Ranma blinked just before Mousse enveloped him in a hug. He swiftly   
punched him in the face and snapped, "Who are you calling Shampoo?"  
  
Mousse shook his head and slipped his glasses over his nose. "Oh, it's   
you," he muttered, and sighed. He jerked his head up and glared at   
Ranma. "Where's Shampoo?!?" he demanded. Ranma blinked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
***  
  
For some reason, Kijo could find absolutely nothing to do in his house.   
Boredom seemed to seep from every square inch of the place. *Funny,* he   
thought. *It never was this uninteresting before.* Sighing, he felt   
that a stroll would help somewhat. It usually did.  
  
***  
  
"I don't know where Shampoo is! Why are you asking me?" Ranma asked,   
frowning.  
  
"She's gone!" Mousse wailed, clenching his fists and gazing at the sky.   
"I haven't seen her since this morning!"  
  
Ranma shook his head and jumped down from the roof. "Whatta moron. Now,   
what was I doing here?" he asked himself, stopping. "Oh yeah," he said,   
walking again with a slight slump. "That uncute tomboy booted me   
here." He yelped slightly as Akane walked right past him at that   
moment, grumbling to herself. He blinked and stared after her. "Hey,   
Akane!" he called.  
  
She kept walking, apparently ignoring him. "Hey!" Ranma called again,   
running up to her. She stopped, and turned slightly.  
  
"Me?" she asked, eyebrows raised.  
  
Ranma frowned. "Well, duh, who else? What's up with you?" he asked,   
tilting his head to the side quizzically.  
  
"Ummmm," she replied, eyes darting from side to side. "Nothing. Just,   
thinking. Yeah, lost in thought. I, um, gotta go... bye!" she said   
quickly and dashed off.  
  
Ranma scratched his head. "That was weird..."  
  
***  
  
Kijo stopped around the corner and leaned against the wall. "Whew!   
Close one," he muttered. "Man," he said, looking down at his feminine   
hands, "this is weird." He resumed walking. "Everything's so...   
different," he mused, walking slowly down the street. "A girl, eh? No,   
not just any girl, but 'Akane.' Apparently, Ryoga loves her, and she's   
engaged to Ranma," he said aloud, not paying attention to his   
surroundings.  
  
"They hate each other. Ranma's a lady's man? This is shaping up to be   
something odd..." He sighed and stepped into a store. The bells   
jingled quietly, heralding the arrival of a customer.   
  
"Hello," a voice called from a darkened hallway. A middle-aged man with   
brown hair and glasses stepped up to the desk. Kijo blinked, then   
remembered that this was the bookstore he had seen when he first got   
here.  
  
"May I help you?" the man asked politely. Kijo shook his head.  
  
"Just lookin'," he replied and turned to the shelves. He sat down in   
a nearby leather chair and sighed. What to do? What was there to do?   
He stood up and paced around the store. *Why worry? Just let Ryoga   
work it out. Yeah, it's his business, and if he wants me to do   
somethin', I will! But, if he doesn't... then I won't.* He stopped,   
and looked around.  
  
"Hmph. Ryoga, you idiot," He said aloud. That pretty much summed it   
all up...  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
Kijo jumped and turned around. The shopkeeper was standing there,   
beaming the essence of gentleness. "Uhhhh... not... really... Well..."   
Kijo said slowly, fidgeting.  
  
"Oh, it's not any of my business, sorry," the man said and turned away.   
Kijo watched as he walked behind the counter and sat down in a wooden   
chair. Kijo bit his lip, thinking.  
  
*Well, he wouldn't recognize me, I'm in a whole new body, it's not like   
it matters...* Kijo cleared his throat. "Well, I have this friend..."  
  
***  
  
"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW?!?" Ryoga screamed, leaning back, fists   
clenched, eyes closed as he faced the heavens. Suddenly, a trash can   
lid bounced off the back of his head.  
  
"For the hundredth time, get out of my yard!" an old man shouted from   
his porch. "Damn kids, never know when to leave well enough alone..."   
Ryoga blinked, and walked off, absently kicking down the man's mailbox   
on his way.  
  
"Hey!" the man shouted from his window. Ryoga ignored him. He had been   
sure that the boat he had taken was headed for Japan, but he had no   
idea which part. He had been wandering for the past three days, and he   
thought he was starting to see familiar landmarks. The fact that he was   
on a one-kilometer-square island with only two inhabitants had not yet   
occurred to him.  
  
He stopped in front of a building. "I'd swear I've seen that house   
before..." he mused.  
  
"Jeez, boy, are you lost or what? This is the forty-seventh time you've   
been here!" an old lady called from the porch.  
  
"No, I'm *not* lost! I know exactly where I... er... where am I?" he   
asked sheepishly.  
  
The old lady shook her head in exasperation. "Listen boy, do you need a   
ride off this island or what?"  
  
"Um, do you have one?" Ryoga asked, scratching the back of his neck.  
  
***  
  
The shopkeeper leaned over his counter, tapping his chin. "Well, that's   
an interesting little mess, isn't it?" he said thoughtfully.  
  
"You could say that," Kijo said quietly from the chair he was slumped   
in. He watched the man tap his fingers on the countertop absent-  
mindedly. He sat up straight and adjusted his glasses.  
  
"Well, you might want to-" he started. "EEEYYAH!" he shrieked as Ranma   
came crashing through the door. He lay on the floor twitching for a   
second, then jumped up.  
  
"Dirty old goat! I'll get you for that!" he cried and leaped out   
through the hole. He stopped suddenly in the middle of the street, and   
started to turn around. Kijo looked curiously at him then noticed Akane   
standing on the sidewalk.  
  
"Ack!" he exclaimed.  
  
Ranma dashed back into the store and looked around. "That's funny," he   
said, scratching his head. Suddenly he perked up. "Oh yeah! Happosai!"   
he cried, snapping his fingers. "You old freak!" he yelled, running   
outside again.  
  
Kijo groaned and lifted the fallen bookshelf off of himself. "That...   
was close," he said, shaking his head briskly. "I'd better go!" he   
cried, taking off down the hallway to the back door.  
  
The shopkeeper stuck his head above the counter nervously. "Is... is it   
over?" he asked shakily. Then he saw the gigantic image of a shriveled   
old man blast a ball of energy in his direction, missing its true   
target. "EEK!"  
  
***  
  
Ryoga stood on a bridge overlooking the city. "I... I've made it..." he   
announced triumphantly, clenching his fist and turning his head   
upwards. "Now," he cried, jabbing a finger in the air, "nothing can go   
wrong!"  
  
"Look out!" he heard someone scream, and jumped away from the car that   
came barreling his direction, and saw the driver shake a fist at him.  
  
"Eep!" he cried, noting that he had jumped off the bridge. And a bridge   
is usually is over water...  
  
"Bu-kee!!" he squealed, using his pack as a raft. *I spoke too soon...*  
  
***  
  
"RRRRAAAANNNMMAAAA!!!!!" Happosai roared. "YOU WILL PAY!!!" So saying,   
he released a blast of ki at his wildly dodging form. It caught Ranma   
square in the chest.  
  
"UMPH!" he grunted as he slammed into the ground. "You... freak..." he   
muttered, getting to his feet.  
  
Happosai laughed evilly. "You'll pay for messing with my fun!" he   
declared, jabbing an enlarged finger at Ranma. Ranma defiantly glared   
at the old pervert, clenching his fist.  
  
"In your dreams, freak!" he said loudly, leaping at him.  
  
"HAPPO FIVE-YEN SATSU!" Ranma's eyes widened upon hearing the words,   
and he desperately attempted to calm his aura. Happosai was not so   
lucky, and got hit by the brunt of the attack. Ranma looked up at an   
adult Hinako as she booted the *very* shriveled Happosai away.  
  
"Th... thanks, teach..." Ranma gasped, leaning forward.  
  
"Senile delinquents must be taken care of," Hinako said simply. Ranma   
nodded, getting to his feet slowly. Standing straight, he looked across   
the street at Hinako, who looked calmly back.   
  
Then, they both watched Happosai float in on a breeze.  
  
"He *doesn't* go away!" Ranma yelled, viciously stomping on him.   
Happosai crumpled like a dry twig under a steamroller.  
  
"Excuse me," Ranma heard someone say behind him.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked, turning around. A boy about his age stood before him,   
decked in several layers of clothing. He wore a Maoist cap, a normal   
shirt and pants, a vest, then a jacket, then a robe, then a cloak. He   
had heavy boots on and wore gloves with open fingertips. All of his   
clothing was black.  
  
"What city is this?" he asked.  
  
"Uh, Tokyo, Nerima District," Ranma answered. The boy shook his hand.  
  
"Thanks a lot. I'll be on my wa-AAYY!!!" he yelled as he stepped   
on a manhole cover, and fell through as it crumpled. His exasperated   
voice came drifting from the street. "Should make those things more   
sturdy..."  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Ranma called down the hole.  
  
The boy looked up at him. "Oh yeah, just fine," he replied, laughing   
casually and waving his hand. Ranma sat back and shrugged, just before   
the boy burst from the street in front of him.  
  
"YIPE!" Ranma cried and jumped back. The boy scratched the back of his   
head and looked down at the hole in the road.  
  
"Eh, I missed," he said, sounding embarrassed. He shrugged. "Oh well."  
  
"Hey," Ranma said, gesturing. "There was a ladder, y'know."  
  
"It wouldn't work," the boy said, turning away.  
  
"Why?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
"Never mind. Thank you for your help," he said, turned his head in the   
direction he was walking. He promptly tripped over a banana peel   
someone had left on the sidewalk, and fell into a street lamp. To   
Ranma's surprise, it immediately toppled over, falling on the boy.   
"Heh, people should be more careful where they put those..." he said,   
standing up.  
  
Ranma blinked as the boy began walking away again. "Weird..." he said,   
scratching his head.  
  
***  
  
Kijo jogged down the streets, thinking. *Wonder what that guy was about   
to tell me. Ah, couldn't a been that important, anyway...* He slowed   
to a walk, and stuck his hands in his pockets. *Where IS that idiot,   
anyway?*  
  
"Eh?" he said as the ground below him swelled up.  
  
"SHISHI HOKODAN!"  
  
"DYAHH!" Kijo cried as the blast carried him high into the air. Ryoga   
stepped out of the hole he had created.  
  
"Now where am I?" he asked no one in particular. Then, Kijo smacked   
into his skull. "OH!" he cried, seeing who it was. "AKANE! What have I   
done!" he said angrily, shaking him.  
  
"Mm? Ryoga?" Kijo muttered weakly.  
  
"AKANE! I'M SO SORRY!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!" Ryoga nearly shrieked,   
bowing so rapidly so much Kijo was afraid he'd get a concussion from   
bashing his forehead into the ground.  
  
Kijo blinked as bits of cement flew upwards. *Or maybe not.* "Ryoga,   
you're such a moron..." he sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"What?" Ryoga gasped, looking up her with tears in his eyes. "Do you...   
really mean that?" he said pitifully.  
  
Kijo leaned backwards and chuckled. "You should be glad you weren't   
doing this in front of Akane, or she'd think you were really   
pathetic." Ryoga blinked at her with wide eyes. He glanced down at   
Kijo's arm, and poked at his brown leather jacket. He then returned his   
gaze to Kijo's face.  
  
"Don't DO that to me!" Ryoga exclaimed, smacking Kijo over the head.  
  
"Heh," Kijo chuckled as he sat up again, a bump now on his head. "You   
dope."  
  
"Why you..." Ryoga growled. He stopped, blinked, then handed Kijo a   
thermos. "Change back now. I feel like I have actually struck   
Akane..." he said softly, face downcast.  
  
"Oh, thanks," Kijo said, and dumped the contents over his head. "Ah,   
much better!" he said, relieved. "So," he asked casually as they began   
walking down the street, "You finally made it back. I knew you would! I   
mean, you did last time..." he added, waving his hand.  
  
"Yes, I did," Ryoga said gazing off at the sky. "But it was difficult,   
fraught with the terrors of-"  
  
"Oh, stuff it."  
  
They glared at each other for a minute, then resumed walking with a   
chuckle. Kijo noticed a woman standing in the middle of the street,   
turning to see a heavily-dressed boy run up to her. "Excuse me,   
ma'am!" the boy called, reaching her.  
  
"Yes?" she replied, absently shifting her katana to her other hand.  
  
"Do you know where I can get a map of this city?" he asked, glancing   
around.  
  
"Why yes! You go to the..." she trailed off as she heard a screeching   
sound, and they both turned to see a car barreling down the street,   
straight towards the two.  
  
"Oh no!" Ryoga and Kijo cried, leaping forward.  
  
"No good! We're too late!" Ryoga yelled.  
  
The boy glanced at the drunk driver, tensed slightly, then rushed at   
the car in a shoulder charge.  
  
"Is he CRAZY?!?" Kijo yelled. "He'll be killed!"  
  
"You FOOL!" Ryoga cried out, just before the explosion caused all of   
them to turn away.  
  
The woman with the sword stumbled, and Ryoga caught her before she hit   
the ground. All three of them stared into the smoke cloud, and Kijo   
announced, "He's a goner, for sure." Ryoga gaped in shock.  
  
Then, heavy footsteps were heard, and the boy walked into view,   
carrying the man over his shoulder. He looked a little burnt, but   
pretty well off. "You..." the woman said uncertainly, pointing a finger   
at him.  
  
"I'm all right. Do you know where a hospital is? He needs attention,   
now," he said, gesturing to the unconscious man draped over his   
shoulder. She nodded and pointed off at a large gray building nearby.   
Wordlessly, he turned and began to jog.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked shakily.  
  
The boy stopped, and glanced back at her. "I'm called Ranma. Ranma   
Saotome." She gasped. Ryoga blinked. Kijo scratched his head.  
  
"R..R...Ranma...?" the woman stammered.  
  
"Yes," he replied, jogging down the street towards the hospital.  
  
The woman stood still for a moment, then cried, "Wait!" The boy,  
however, was out of earshot. She chased after him frantically.  
  
Kijo and Ryoga stood there like statues. "What," Kijo said suddenly,   
scratching his head, "was THAT all about?"   
  
Ryoga shook his head helplessly.  
  
***  
  
Happosai was angry. Ranma had managed to escape his wrath, all because   
of his former student, Hinako... If he wasn't feeling so weak, and   
shriveled, and helpless, and sickly, and if he was able to move...   
Well, he'd show Ranma a real fight. He'd make that insolent, arrogant   
boy PAY for his crimes. But for now...  
  
"Look, Mommy! It's a little troll!" Happosai tried to blink, then saw a   
little girl pick him up. "Can I keep it, Mommy? Can I?"  
  
"Well, I guess so," the girl's mother said sweetly.  
  
"Thank you, Mommy!" the girl squealed, hugging Happosai close.  
  
*Heeeelp...* he thought weakly.  
  
***  
  
Ryoga and Kijo began jogging towards the hospital. "I wanna know," Kijo   
huffed, "what that was all about."  
  
Ryoga nodded, not even slightly out of breath. "I want to know how he   
stopped that car so easily," he said, frowning.  
  
"Yeah," Kijo wheezed, "that too."  
  
"Out of the way! She's crazy!"  
  
"Huh?" Kijo said, turning just in time for Ranma to leap off his face.  
  
"Ohohohohoho! Ranma-darling, why do you run away?" Kodachi laughed   
shrilly, and Ryoga shivered. She swung a bouquet of black roses around   
as she leapt after Ranma, and they caught Kijo square in the face as   
she leapt over him.  
  
"Akthph!" he sputtered, then his eyes widened. "I..." he started, his   
eyes darting around.  
  
"What?" Ryoga asked, an eyebrow raised.  
  
"I cnnt mv," Kijo answered between his teeth.  
  
Ryoga shook his head and picked Kijo up, who was as limp as a rubber   
band. He turned back to what he thought was the hospital, and stopped   
when he noticed he was standing in front of a floral shop. "Drat it   
all," he grumbled, turning on his heel.  
  
"Is she gone?" a nearby flowerpot asked cautiously.  
  
"Eh?" Ryoga grunted, dropping Kijo, who squeaked upon impact with the   
street.  
  
Ranma popped up from the display, the flowerpot on his head. He swung   
his head from side to side rapidly, then sighed in relief.   
  
"So, Ryoga, what brings you here?" he asked, stepping out of the hole   
the flowerpot had been resting in.  
  
Ryoga shook his head and picked Kijo up again. "We were just following   
some guy who says he's you," he answered casually.  
  
"What?" Ranma blinked.  
  
"Yeah, he saved this lady with a katana, and she acted all funny when   
he said he was you," Ryoga explained, turning. Kijo's head smacked into   
the wall. He groaned through his teeth.  
  
"Ka...ta...na...?" Ranma said slowly, his eyes blank. Suddenly he   
slammed his fist into the door frame. "Not AGAIN!" he shouted angrily.  
  
"Eh?" Ryoga grunted, stepping backwards, accidentally ramming Kijo into   
a flowerpot.  
  
"This is the LAST time someone plays with my mother's heart!" Ranma   
declared, jabbing a finger into the air. So saying, he turned to Ryoga   
quickly. "Which way did he go?"  
  
"Uh, the hospital," Ryoga answered nervously.  
  
"Then I'm off! I'll make him wish he was never born," he muttered under   
his breath and dashed down the street. Ryoga blinked then suddenly   
remembered what he had been doing. He dashed after Ranma, not noticing   
that Kijo's head kept slamming into random objects.  
  
"Nnnnnnggggghhh......" Kijo groaned as a Chihuahua latched onto his   
hair angrily.  
  
***  
  
"Wait!" Nodoka cried, flinging the doors open. She dashed across the   
waiting room to the boy who claimed to be Ranma. He had just turned the   
man over to the hospital and was about to leave.  
  
"Yes?" he asked tonelessly.  
  
"Ranma..." Nodoka said softly. "My son!" she cried, enveloping him in a   
hug. He blinked.  
  
"Umm..." he said nervously, placing his hands against her shoulders and   
pushing slightly.  
  
"Ranma... what?" Nodoka said tearfully.  
  
"Do I know you?" he asked quizzically.  
  
"I'm... I'm you mother!" she said, clasping his hands in hers.  
  
He looked at her for a long moment, then turned away. "I've never seen   
you before," he said, walking off.   
  
Nodoka quickly explained, "You left when you were very young, so you   
wouldn't remember me."  
  
The boy shook his head. "Some things.... aren't as they seem." So   
saying, he walked out the doors, leaving behind a very disheartened   
Nodoka.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, you!" Ranma cried, jabbing a finger at the boy as he stepped   
outside. He stopped.  
  
"What?" he asked, confused.  
  
"How DARE you toy with my mother like that!" Ranma growled, cracking   
his knuckles.  
  
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Do you want a fight, or something?" he   
asked, gesturing at Ranma's offensive stance.  
  
"You bet!" Ranma cried, leaping forward. He launched a strong punch   
into the boy's abdomen. The boy smirked slightly as he gripped Ranma's   
wrist. He swung Ranma around and slammed him brutally into the ground   
several times, leaving small craters each time.  
  
Ranma grunted with each impact. The guy's grip was incredible! Try as   
he might, he couldn't get his wrist out of his opponent's iron grasp.  
  
The boy slammed Ranma into the ground again, and let go. Ranma groaned   
and got to his knees. The boy grabbed the back of his neck from behind   
and lifted him into the air. Ranma jabbed his elbow back and felt it   
hit his target solidly. The boy simply brushed it off, however, and   
slammed Ranma's face into the ground viciously.  
  
Ranma groaned and placed his palms against the ground to push himself   
up, but suddenly the boy jumped up and stomped on Ranma's back, which   
drove him several feet down into the street. He felt all the air get   
knocked out of him, and then he passed out.  
  
***  
  
Ranma woke up to discover a few things. First, his back hurt, a lot.   
Second, everything was dark. Third, everything was cold.  
  
"You think he'll wake up soon?"  
  
"He should, he's been out for about a half-hour now."  
  
Fourth, someone was talking, and the voices came from above.  
  
"Don't you think we should have at least pulled him up out of that   
hole?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
Oh. That would explain it...  
  
Ranma let out a low groan and pushed himself up. He climbed out of the   
hole and saw Ryoga and Kijo, who had been drinking tea, turn to him.  
  
"About time," Ryoga said, sipping from his cup.  
  
"Yeah, we almost got worried," Kijo added.  
  
Ranma pulled himself up to the table and joined them. "Man," he said   
thoughtfully. "That guy's last attack REALLY hurt."  
  
"What?" Ryoga said quizzically, setting his cup down. "All he did was   
stomp on you."  
  
"Eh?" Ranma said with wide eyes. "Geez, it felt like a three-ton   
boulder!"  
  
"Actually, the last time you got hit by a three-ton boulder, you didn't   
get knocked out," Ryoga argued.  
  
Ranma blinked, and rubbed his chin. "Oh, yeah. Okay, then a ten-ton   
boulder."  
  
Kijo scratched his head. "What the heck are you guys talking about?" he   
asked, giving them both odd looks.  
  
Ryoga and Ranma shook their heads. "Nothing," they answered casually.   
Kijo shrugged it off and took another drink of his tea.  
  
"Anyway," Ranma said in a low voice, "I'll make him pay for doing that   
to my mom."  
  
"Aaaaactually," Kijo said, rolling his eyes, "we talked to him a little   
after you were conked out."  
  
"Yeah?" Ranma questioned, leaning backwards, forgetting his was sitting   
in the middle of the street.  
  
"Yeah. If you'll sit up straight, I'll tell you. Okay, after he jumped   
out of the hole..."  
  
***  
  
"Neat trick," Kijo commented.  
  
The boy smirked. "It's part of my life-time training."  
  
"Really?" Ryoga asked, arms crossed.  
  
"Yeah, it's in the clothes," the boy explained, lifted his arms a   
little. "I've been wearing them for years."  
  
"How does your clothing help you stomp someone five feet into the   
ground?" Kijo asked, his eyebrows creased.  
  
"It's heavy," the boy replied simply.  
  
"Alright, but why do you call yourself Ranma?" Ryoga prodded.  
  
"That," the boy said, turning his head to the sky, "is my own   
business." He started walking away. "By the way," he said, almost as an   
afterthought, "Who is he?" he asked, pointing toward the hole.  
  
"Umm, that's Ranma Saotome," Kijo answered, confused.  
  
The boy's expression changed suddenly to awe, then utter confusion.   
"But, that doesn't make any sense..." he muttered, walking off   
thoughtfully.  
  
***  
  
"That doesn't explain ANYTHING!" Ranma exclaimed angrily, smacking the   
table with his palm.  
  
"It explains why you went from a fight to a spelunking expedition in   
mere seconds," Kijo offered. He got a tea-cup in the face for said   
offer.  
  
"But what about my mom?" Ranma demanded. "I can't let him do that to   
her! Once is barely forgivable, I won't be able to live with letting it   
happen TWICE!" He was frantic by then.  
  
"Just how heavy IS he, anyway?" Ryoga wondered aloud.  
  
"I dunno," Kijo replied, looking perplexed, "but it doesn't look like   
he should be able to do that," he said, gesturing to the hole in the   
street, "with just what he's carrying."  
  
"Do you mind?!" Ranma growled. "I'm in the middle of a big family   
problem here, and you're not helping!"  
  
"Well, excuse me," Kijo said, with just a trace of sarcasm in his   
voice. He leaned back, temporarily forgetting his position. "Um, I   
suggest you, uh, ask him, um, why he's... posing as you?" He suggested   
from the ground.  
  
"He'd better have a REALLY good explanation!" Ranma cried, jumping up.   
"Which way did he go?" he asked suddenly, gripping Kijo's shirt.  
  
"Oh, just down the street. Hey, c'mon, this shirt's new," Kijo   
protested.  
  
Ranma dropped him and dashed wordlessly down the street.  
  
"Boy, he's easily excited, ain't he?" Kijo said, standing up.  
  
Ryoga shrugged and stood up too. "Should we follow?" Ryoga inquired,   
gesturing down the street.  
  
Kijo thought about, holding his chin in his hand. He looked up and   
grinned. "Sure! There's bound to be a fight. Wouldn't wanna miss   
that!" So saying, he bounded off in the direction the other two had   
gone.  
  
Ryoga followed after a moments hesitation. *What's so special about a   
fight?*  
  
***  
  
"Where is he, where is he, where is he..." Ranma repeated this simple   
mantra as he ran through the streets in search of his target. "Stupid   
moron, I'll teach him..." A grinding noise caught his ear, and he   
whipped around to see... an empty street. He looked back and forth a   
few times, then turned to go.  
  
"DAMN those manhole covers!"  
  
Ranma whipped around again at the frustrated shout, and saw the boy   
leap through the center of the street.  
  
"I've gotta watch where I'm going..." the boy muttered, starting to   
walk again.  
  
"HEY!" Ranma shouted angrily.  
  
"Eh?" the boy said inquisitively, turning around. "You again?" he   
questioned, then shook his head. "So, you call yourself Ranma Saotome,   
eh?" he said with a chuckle.  
  
Ranma's face darkened. "Why you..." he growled, leaping forward. The   
boy waited for Ranma to land a punch, then grabbed at his wrist again.   
To his surprise, however, it wasn't there. The next thing he knew,   
Ranma was behind him, laying down a painful array of punches.  
  
The boy spun around and swung at Ranma, but he was already gone. He   
glared as he saw him standing down the street from him, an angry   
expression on his face. The boy rushed at him, pulling both arms back.  
  
"For what you've done..." Ranma started, his foot positioning changing   
slightly, "You will PA-OOMHP!!!" He had attempted to slip inside the   
boy's defenses and land several blows, and he had succeeded. What he   
hadn't counted on was the boy's momentum, mixed with his incredible   
weight.  
  
He struggled to toss his burden off of him, and succeeded in tossing   
him a short distance. *God!* he thought, in disbelief, *He weighs a   
TON! No, make that ten tons.* He watched the boy run at him again, then   
hit him with a blast of ki.  
  
"Moko Takabisha!" he cried. To his surprise, his opponent didn't go   
flying backwards, but was knocked to the ground. He made a loud *THUMP*   
upon contact.  
  
The boy stood up quickly, and shook his head. He then advanced upon   
Ranma again.  
  
*Man!* he thought, exasperated, *this guy really takes a beating!*  
  
***  
  
Kijo ran down the streets, his head whipping around, trying to locate   
what he assumed would be, if it wasn't already, a battle. He stopped at   
an intersection and glanced down all four streets, then pulled a coin   
out of his pocket. "Heads, I go down the...." he trailed off as he   
noticed Ryoga wasn't with him anymore.  
  
He gnashed his teeth and threw the coin to the ground. "Dammit Ryoga!"   
he growled, frustrated. Suddenly, he heard an explosion and a cry of,   
"Moko Takabisha!"  
  
Torn between finding Ryoga and watching the fight, he eventually   
decided on the latter. "He'll find his way back, always does," he   
reasoned to himself.  
  
***  
  
Ranma grimaced as he drew his opponent into the spiral. He had decided   
that just beating on him wouldn't work, he had way too much endurance.   
The blasts of ki weren't doing much, either. The guy was slow, but when   
he did get a hit in, it really, REALLY hurt. Maintaining his 'soul of   
ice,' he thrust his fist upward, and cried, "Hiryu shoten ha!!"  
  
The boy's snarling face abruptly turned to surprise, as he felt himself   
being lifted upward, albeit very slowly.  
  
Ranma watched with wide eyes at the sight. It wasn't quite like he had   
expected. The boy was being pulled into the tornado, but he was moving   
like molasses. He was hardly four feet off the ground by then.  
  
Frustrated, Ranma shot him with another ki blast, accidentally losing   
his 'soul of ice' in doing so. With an angry bellow, he shot upwards.  
  
The other boy had finally lost his battle against the high-speed wind,   
and was being tossed around, more or less, like a rag doll. He felt   
himself being pulled towards the eye of the storm, and when he reached   
it, he dropped like a stone. His eyes widened as he saw the ground   
rushing towards him at an amazing rate, and cried out in terror just   
before he struck.  
  
***  
  
Kijo turned the corner and fell backwards in surprise. While he had   
expected to see a fight, he had not expected to see THIS. Numerous   
craters were scattered around the street, and both boys were trapped   
inside a huge cyclone. He stood up shakily and peered into the raging   
winds.  
  
He saw a speck appear, and as it drew nearer, he saw it was the other   
boy, and he had a terrified expression on his face.  
  
"Oh my go-" Kijo breathed just as the boy struck the center of the   
street. He made a horrible, grinding, cracking, crunching noise as he   
drove deep into the earth. The resulting hole had a fairly wide mouth,   
and funneled downwards nearly two hundred feet.  
  
Kijo looked up again and saw Ranma shoot a large ball of ki into the   
hole, presumably just to make sure. Ranma slammed into the street, and   
stood up shakily as the winds died down.  
  
Ranma bent over and placed his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.   
"He HAS to be down, now," he muttered.  
  
Kijo cautiously walked over to the edge of the hole and peered in. He   
saw a form at the bottom and called out, "It doesn't look like he's   
moving. I'd saw you won."  
  
Ranma grinned and stood up a little straighter.  
  
Kijo squinted and looked again, only to see a shower of dirt appear   
from nowhere, at the bottom. "What the.." he said, jerking back. Ranma   
stood beside Kijo, staring down into the hole. They saw the boy's form   
moving up the side, but it looked bigger, somehow...  
  
"No way...." Ranma gasped.  
  
As soon as the boy had enough light on him, Kijo breathed a sigh of   
relief. "Ryoga!" he exclaimed.  
  
Ryoga gritted his teeth and sunk his hand into the dirt, as there were   
no handholds.  
  
Ranma let out a breath. "I knew he wouldn't be able to walk after   
that..."  
  
Ryoga gripped the edge of the hole, and pulled himself out. He   
collapsed in a heap and dumped the boy onto the ground.  
  
"God!" he exclaimed, slumping to his hands and knees. "He's HEAVY!"  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow. If he was heavy enough to wear Ryoga out, he   
must weigh... who knows?  
  
***  
  
Kasumi looked up and saw Ranma, Ryoga and another boy carry someone   
into the yard, and they all abruptly dropped him to the ground with   
assorted groans. "Hello, Ranma!" she called, stepping outside. "Who's   
your friend?"  
  
Ranma waved a hand at Kijo, who said, "I'm Kijo Kuraki. Nice to meet   
you."  
  
Kasumi smiled cheerily. "I'm Kasumi Tendo. Who is he?" she asked,   
pointing to the unconscious boy.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "I dunno. He calls himself me."  
  
Kasumi crinkled her brow slightly, but shrugged it off. "You can use   
the bath if you like," she offered, walking into the house.  
  
The boys nodded weakly and flopped down on the grass. Kijo wiped the   
sweat off his brow, then froze as a groan escaped the other boy's lips.   
All three of them turned to the stranger, who sat up shakily.  
  
"What the hell...?" he muttered, as his eyes focused on his   
surroundings. His gaze wandered over Ryoga and Kijo, then stopped on   
Ranma. He stared at him for a moment, then looked away. "I guess you   
really are Ranma," he said grudgingly.  
  
"Of course I am!" Ranma growled, smacking him over the head. "Just who   
the hell are you?!" he demanded.  
  
The boy looked back at Ranma, then shrugged. "My real name is Thyme,"   
he said simply.  
  
"Thyme?" Kijo asked, smirking. "What kinda name is-"  
  
"You wouldn't be a..." Ryoga interrupted, pointing at Thyme   
uncertainly.  
  
"A what?" Thyme asked quizzically.  
  
"Where were those guys from, Ranma?" Ryoga asked Ranma suddenly.  
  
"The Musk Dynasty?" Ranma suggested.  
  
"Yeah, that's it," Ryoga said, nodding his head. "Are you from th-"  
  
"Yes," Thyme cut him off, "I have parted ways from the Musk, on less   
than agreeable terms."  
  
"So you're an exile?" Kijo blurted.  
  
Thyme smacked him over the head. "Do you have to put it so bluntly?!?"  
  
"Whadja do?" Ranma asked, crossing his legs and leaning forward.  
  
Thyme leaned back and smirked arrogantly. "None of your business."  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes, then brought a mallet down on his head, which   
shattered, but Thyme still fell over.  
  
"Yes, it IS my business," Ranma growled, grabbing Thyme by the front of   
his shirt.  
  
"Ah, aheh," Thyme stuttered, waving his hand, "of course. You see, they   
wouldn't allow me to enter any houses..."  
  
"Why?" Ryoga interrupted.  
  
"Because," Thyme explained, not-so-patiently, "I always broke through   
the floor."  
  
Ranma, Ryoga, and Kijo all stared at him.  
  
"Um, ever try changing your clothes?" Ryoga suggested.  
  
"Ah, but it wouldn't matter," Thyme said dramatically, clenching his   
fist. "I am under a curse, you see, that increases the weight of my   
clothing a thousand-fold. Or something like that."  
  
"Then why do you wear so many layers?" Kijo asked, tilting his head to   
the side.  
  
"I come here seeking an artifact," Thyme continued, ignoring Kijo,   
"that allows me to control my curse. It is a magic bottle that, when   
used properly, sucks away any curse that the user has."  
  
Ranma, Ryoga, and Kijo froze.  
  
"Did you say..." Ryoga started.  
  
"It takes away..." Kijo said.  
  
"Any curse?" Ranma finished.  
  
Thyme nodded. "If I have that, my troubles will be over!" he said, with   
a smile on his face. "Although, " he added, looking down at himself,   
"Having to spend my whole life dragging this much weight around has   
certainly been good training..." He suddenly noticed the three faces   
bearing down on him.  
  
"Take us to it!" they demanded.  
  
Thyme sweatdropped. "Er, I don't really know where it is..."  
  
"Grrrr...."  
  
  
End chapter 3  



	4. Musical Chairs, Anyone?

Master of Ki  
  
Chapter 4  
  
By Leif Johnson  
  
Disclaimer: This humble (I AM LEIF JOHNSON, EXPERT AUTHOR AND MASTER OF   
IC-NESS!) author did not create the characters in this story that share   
the same names as any character in Ranma 1/2. The rest are mine.  
  
***  
  
Thyme paced back and forth across the Tendo yard, pointing a stick at   
an instructional board. "This is known as the Magic Vacuum," he stated,   
pointing at a picture of a glass bottle.  
  
"Isn't it a jar?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
Thyme smacked him over the head with the stick. "Of course! It sucks up   
magic like a vacuum."  
  
"Wait, isn't it an ancient artifact?" Ranma inquired.  
  
"Of course!" Thyme answered matter-of-factly.  
  
"Then why is it named after a modern item?" Ranma asked, folding his   
arms across his chest.   
  
"Anyway, it was last seen here in Japan, but the team looking for it   
had it stolen from them," Thyme continued, ignoring Ranma and pointing   
at a picture of a bunch of woeful Musk warriors. Ranma shook his head.  
  
"Who stole it?" Kijo asked.  
  
"No one knows his name, but we do have a picture." So saying, Thyme   
flipped to the next page, which showed a picture of a small man with a   
big head, half a head of hair, a small mustache, two horns, and a   
forked tongue.   
  
"Hey..." Ranma said, starting.  
  
"Of course it would be that dirty old freak," Ryoga grumbled.  
  
Kijo scratched his head. "You know, he kinda looks like Hap-" He   
suddenly clamped his hand over his mouth and glanced around rapidly,   
sweat practically flying from his brow.  
  
"You know him?" Ranma asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"NOOOOO!!!" Kijo screamed, his eyes suddenly turning bloodshot. He   
looked around crazily, then took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.   
"I mean, no, why do you ask?" he offered pathetically, smiling   
sheepishly.  
  
"Right, sure," Ranma said, not convinced, but didn't say anything else.   
Ryoga, however, was more blunt.  
  
"When did you meet him?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Eh heh, heh, uh, uhm... er... I..." Kijo informingly answered. Ranma   
rolled his eyes, but his curiosity was piqued.   
  
"What, did he do something to you, too?" Seeing Kijo's frightened look,   
he ventured, "Did he give you a Jusenkyo curse?"  
  
Kijo shook his head rapidly, then took several very, very deep and   
very, very ragged breaths. Ryoga smacked him on the back repeatedly,   
causing Kijo to worry that his jaw was no longer connected to the rest   
of his skull.  
  
"I'm..." *thwack* "f..." *whack* "fi..." *thump* "I'M FINE ALREADY!" he   
yelled, knocking Ryoga backwards. "Whatta ya tryin' ta do, break my   
back or something?!"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to do that when someone's choking?" Ryoga asked,   
confused.  
  
"NO!" Kijo yelled, his face turning red. "And that was HAGGARD   
BREATHING!!"  
  
"Well? How did you meet up with the old goat, anyway?" Ranma persisted.  
  
"I'm telling you, I've never MET Happosai!" Kijo shrieked, his voice   
shrill.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said, rolling his eyes, "we're really convinced now."  
  
"Someone call my name?" Happosai asked, bounding over the wall with a   
sack of lingerie over his shoulder.  
  
"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Kijo shrieked, bolting off. Directly into the   
wall.  
  
"Okay, you old freak," Ranma growled, picking up Happosai, "What'd you   
do to him?" Happosai innocently glanced at the boy imbedded in the   
wall, then looked up at Ranma with puppy-dog-eyes.  
  
"Who, me? How could you accuse such an INNOCE-" Ranma stomped him into   
the ground before he could finish.  
  
"Hey, Thyme," he said, gesturing to the fallen freak, "stand here for a   
minute."  
  
***  
  
"Come on, Kijo, we just wanna know."  
  
"GET BACK! I'LL NEVER TALK! ANTS TAKE YOUR EYES!" Kijo's own eyes were   
bulging out of his sockets as a bit of foam dripped from the corners of   
his mouth.  
  
Ryoga sighed dejectedly. "He's gone completely crazy."  
  
"You're probably right," Ranma agreed.  
  
"Should he really be tied up?" Thyme asked. Kijo currently had 18 feet   
of chain, 12 feet of rope, and 30 feet of 80 lb. Test fishing line   
holding him to a boulder.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't let a madman run loose in the streets," Ranma said   
wisely, nodding his head. He glanced suddenly at Happosai and coughed.  
  
"What?" Happosai growled in an irritated manner. "Don't look at me like   
that! YOU haven't just had your head reshaped into a breakfast   
sausage!" He rubbed his badly bruised noggin for emphasis.  
  
Thyme grumbled something unintelligible as he applied more salve to his   
foot. "Nobody told me he was carrying bombs," he muttered, reaching for   
the bandages.  
  
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!! GET THOSE PLIERS AWAY!! KILL ME NOW!"  
  
"This is really frustrating," Ryoga groused. "He's starting to get on   
my nerves."  
  
"Well, since HE'S obviously not going to tell us anything," Thyme said,   
jabbing his thumb at Kijo, "I say we ask him." He pointed an accusing   
finger at Happosai, who angrily lobbed a bomb at him. Thyme smacked in   
aside.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! MY NOSE IS   
GOING TO IMPLODE!"  
  
"Shut UP already!" Ryoga snarled, knocking Kijo unconscious.  
  
"Thanks," Ranma muttered, snatching Happosai as he tried to sneak away.   
"Now, old freak, what did you do to him?"  
  
Happosai tossed Ranma aside and looked intently at Kijo's still form.   
He circled him slowly clockwise, then counterclockwise, then closed his   
eyes. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. "Ah, yes, I remember!" he   
exclaimed, smacking his fist into the palm of his other hand.  
  
"What?" Ranma asked excitedly.  
  
"I almost forgot," Happosai said, reaching into his pocket. "I got a   
new bra for you, Ranma."  
  
Ranma grabbed Thyme by the ankles and slammed him on Happosai.  
  
"Hey!" Thyme shouted indignantly, kicking Ranma into the ceiling.  
  
Ryoga peeled Happosai off the floor and folded him into an origami   
swan. "Hey, that's pretty cool," Ranma said, peering down at it. Thyme   
nodded his head in agreement. Kijo drooled.  
  
"INFIEDELS!" Happosai shouted, leaping away to avoid the explosions he   
left behind. He turned towards Kijo and announced, "I found the boy   
years ago, in rags, wandering down the streets. Being the compassionate   
sort, I asked him if he was lost. He told me how his parents had died   
long ago, and how he was living on his own, at a tender age of five!   
Naturally, I took him under my wing and trained him in the fine arts of   
battle."  
  
"LIAR!" Kijo shouted, snapping his head up. "I never saw you until I   
was ten!"  
  
"At least he's somewhat rational," Thyme muttered.  
  
"I found him being chased by a crowd of girls," Kijo explained. "I hit   
him with a ki blast. After that, he was always following me, insisting   
that I let him train me. Finally, I gave in. Then began my closest   
experience to hell."  
  
***  
  
"What's taking him so long?" a young Kijo pondered, tapping his foot   
and glancing at the door the old man had entered. Suddenly, the door   
flew open and Happosai pulled him in.  
  
"Just wait here, boy, and you'll receive your training soon," he said   
before leaping out the window. Kijo looked around at the room, and his   
eyes widened when he saw it was littered with lingerie. "Hurry!" he   
heard Happosai call from outside. "There's an underwear thief in the   
locker room!"  
  
*A what?* he thought, confused. Suddenly, the door burst open and a   
crowd of angry girls glared down at him. *Oh, no.*  
  
***  
  
"I want you to take as much as you can carry from that restaurant, or   
you don't eat for a week!"  
  
Kijo managed to steal plenty of food, as well as receive several   
bruises, but not quite enough to satisfy Happosai's demand, which was   
exactly equal to infinity minus one.  
  
***  
  
"What? Don't tell me that that hurts!"   
  
Kijo whimpered from inside the contraption. He was surrounded by a web   
of sticks and wires, any of which would trigger a huge amount of stones   
to rain down on him should he so much as touch them. Meanwhile,   
Happosai was pelting him with a never-ending supply of hot coals. "How   
much more can you take? Hm? Well? Ooh, that must be painful!"  
  
***  
  
"Faster! I know you can pull this thing faster!" Happosai cackled from   
his perch on top of a large cart which Kijo was frantically pulling. A   
furious horde of villagers pursued them with pitchforks and rakes.   
Sweat dripped from his brow, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth as   
he panted heavily. Finally, he collapsed. "Oh well!" Happosai said with   
a shrug, and leapt off the cart with a barrel of sake and a chunk of   
meat. "Deal with them, okay?" Kijo whimpered and closed his eyes.  
  
***  
  
Ranma angrily slammed Thyme on top of Happosai again. "Will you STOP   
that?!" Thyme shouted.  
  
"Jeez, you old freak, he was only TEN when you did that?" Ranma   
exclaimed.  
  
Happosai stood up and shook his head. "He had a lot of potential, and I   
burdened myself with the task of bringing it out of him. What did you   
expect? Me to pamper him?"  
  
Ranma grumbled something under his breath. Kijo cleared his throat   
noisily. All signs of madness were gone, replaced by hate. And fear.   
"As I was saying," he continued. "It all ended one day..."  
  
***  
  
Happosai gleefully stood in front of his latest creation, which was   
truly a masterpiece. It stood roughly twenty feet tall, and had a small   
room inside it that was viewable through the entryway. A mess of wires,   
steel bars, and pipes snaked around its outside. The training manual   
had stated that this technique would bring out a student's greatest   
ability. Which was exactly what Happosai wanted.  
  
Kijo stood off to the side, feeling truly terrified. The master's   
newest training machine seemed to promise great amounts of pain.   
  
Happosai beckoned Kijo closer, who hesitantly walked up with shaky   
knees. Happosai jabbed at a few pressure points on Kijo while looking   
at the manual, then tossed him into the entry of the machine. He began   
flipping a few levers on a panel at the front. Metal bars slammed down   
in the entry so that Happosai could view what happened, and so Kijo   
couldn't escape. A strange gas poured out of a tank. Happosai quickly   
donned a gas mask, a huge grin on his face.  
  
***  
  
Kijo felt the pressure points hit him like gunshots, and felt something   
surge through him, something that scared him. Then, the gas entered his   
nostrils and his throat, and his mind did a somersault. He cried out   
in terror as primal fear poured from his mind into every part of his   
body.   
  
Whips, logs, and other blunt objects began swinging and jabbing and   
twirling in every direction, immediately striking him down. The pain   
felt incredibly amplified. But, he wasn't safe from them on the floor.   
There was nowhere safe. Every square inch of space had something   
blocking it, and he was bludgeoned helplessly. He screamed again as the   
combination of unexplained fear and pain overpowered him.  
  
The fear soon became tangible, however. He desperately wished it   
hadn't. He could see his parents. They were gone. Forever. Locked in   
endless torment. And pulling him down with them. There was Happosai. He   
was Evil. He was the cause of all suffering, such suffering. Kijo was   
damned. Damned. Life was over, death was impossible. There was only   
torment. Nothing but torment. Endless pain. A scream unlike any he had   
ever imagined burst from his lips. It rang with a terror so deep it   
would have inspired sympathy in the cruelest of demons. He wished for   
an end, a release, an escape from the torment...  
  
And found it. He didn't know what it was, but it had to be better than   
what he felt now. Anything could.  
  
He remembered nothing more.  
  
***  
  
Happosai looked on apprehensively. All the boy had done was scream. How   
was that supposed to teach a student? He absently flipped the book to   
the next page.  
  
*WARNING! Students taught this may not survive! In fact, we have had   
only one report of this working in the past three hundred years! In   
this rare case, the master was killed! It's bad either way! Do not   
attempt this!*   
  
Happosai shrugged and slapped the book shut. Just a little   
exaggeration, right? His head snapped up as a new scream came from   
Kijo. It was unlike anything he had ever heard before. He saw that   
blood dripped from his mouth where he had sunk his teeth into his lips   
and tongue, and tears practically poured from his eyes. Then, something   
changed.  
  
All the features in Kijo's eyes blanked out. They looked no different,   
but when one looked at them, they would find it impossible to   
distinguish the pupils from the irises from the white. They would also   
most likely forget that they were even looking at eyes, rather than   
portals to nowhere.   
  
Kijo hunched over, then his head flew backwards, his mouth opened in a   
scream. The entire machine he was locked in crumbled and exploded,   
leaving him standing with his legs wide, hunched over, and his hands   
tensed up like claws.  
  
Happosai grinned, his eyes wide. This was it! This was the Heart of the   
Forgotten Soul!  
  
Kijo leapt forward, his fingers outstretched, and sunk his hands into   
the soil where Happosai had previously been standing. Happosai landed a   
safe distance away and watched as the soil surrounding Kijo in a large   
circle erupted. He wasted no time in turning on Happosai and charging   
him, his arms flying out in all directions. Happosai launched himself   
away and landed a good distance behind where Kijo stood. He blinked as   
he noticed that the pipe he had struck Kijo with as he distanced   
himself had crumbled.  
  
Then, as one, geysers of soil erupted all over, nearby trees shattered,   
and small plants flew from the ground and exploded like small, harmless   
fireworks. Happosai stepped back, amazed. This was Kijo's full   
potential? If this was true, he could train him to become the greatest   
martial artist in the land, under him, of course. He was forced to   
concentrate on the battle at hand as Kijo rushed him again.  
  
Happosai leapt away again, but dropped several Happo-Fire Bursts   
behind. He watched as the explosion carried Kijo into the air, then saw   
him swing his arms down at him desperately. Kijo launched downwards at   
an insane speed, surprising Happosai and giving him no time to dodge.  
  
He heard and felt the soil eruption around him, and then he saw Kijo's   
face. It was the closest he had ever come to being truly afraid.  
  
It was his eyes that scared him the most. They had the look of someone   
who wanted to destroy the planet in a single blow, and most likely   
could. He could see hate, rage, despair, death, life, and terror all in   
those eyes. To his surprise, tears still poured down Kijo's face.  
  
Kijo pulled back his hand, as if he were about to poke him with all of   
his fingers instead of punch him, and screamed. Happosai noticed, out   
of the corner of his eye, that the nearby foliage was immediately   
uprooted. As Kijo swung his hand towards Happosai's face, the air in   
front of his palm seemed to collapse on itself repeatedly.  
  
Happosai knew nothing more.  
  
***  
  
Ranma, Ryoga, and Thyme all turned as one to the boy strapped down to   
the boulder. Kijo had a shocked expression on his face. His jaw worked   
a little, then he shouted, "You're lying! You little goat, you're   
lying!"  
  
Happosai sadly shook his head. "Nope, it's the honest-to-bra truth."  
  
"The what?" Thyme asked, scratching his head, then smacked a fist into   
his palm. "Oh yeah, I was supposed to get that jar!" He spun on   
Happosai and jabbed a finger at him. "You! Return what you have stolen   
from the Musk!"  
  
"Musk? I don't smell any," Happosai said, looking around and sniffing.  
  
"No, you idiot, I mean the Musk Dynasty!" Thyme growled.  
  
"A musky what?" Happosai asked with an obviously confused expression on   
his face.   
  
Thyme snarled and held up the signboard with the Magic Vacuum drawn on   
it. "The JAR, stupid!" he shouted.  
  
"That's a dynasty?" Happosai asked scoffingly.  
  
"NO! THAT'S WHAT YOU STOLE!!" Thyme screamed, spittle flying from his   
mouth.  
  
"Oh, you mean this?" Happosai asked innocently, holding a glass bottle   
up.  
  
Thyme gaped at him for a minute, then muttered to himself, "Easier than   
I thought." He cracked his knuckles and glared down at Happosai through   
narrowed eyes. "Alright, midget, now I will-"  
  
Happosai casually flipped Thyme into the air with a bored expression on   
his face. "Annoying inse-" He was cut off by Thyme's vertical return.  
  
"AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!" Soun shouted, popping up. "Look at the floor!" Ranma   
peered down into the crater.  
  
"Did he die?" he asked hopefully. Soun brightened up upon hearing this   
and jumped down to make sure.  
  
"Master! You're not alive, are you?"  
  
Ranma glanced briefly at Soun flying through the roof before sighing in   
a disappointed manner. "Guess he lived."  
  
Happosai bounded out holding the jar over his head. "You'll never get   
it! Whatever it is! NYAH HAHAHAHAAAA!!" he shouted, sticking out his   
tongue. Ranma booted him into a wall and snatched the jar.  
  
"No way, old man, this thing's MINE!" he cried, leaping away. He was   
stopped as Ryoga's umbrella smashed him upside the head.  
  
"Not so fast, Ranma!" he growled, grabbing it from him.  
  
"Hey!" Thyme shouted, grabbing Ryoga's ankles and slamming him into   
the ground. "It belongs to me- I mean, the Musk!"  
  
"Somebody untie me!" Kijo shouted mournfully, but was ignored.  
  
***  
  
"Finally..." Ranma muttered, gazing down at the precious bottle in his   
hands. Thyme pulled himself over and flopped down on Ranma's toe. Ranma   
immediately jumped up and started howling. "AAUUUGGHHH! GET OFF! GET   
OFF!"  
  
Thyme snatched the bottle and started to open it, but Ranma tossed him   
out the door, where he smacked into Kijo's boulder, shattering it, and   
sending them both into the pond. Ranma reached out for the bottle as it   
spun through the air...  
  
"Eh?" Genma said questioningly as the bottle fell into his hands. "Is   
that... sake?" he asked no one in particular as he examined the liquid   
inside the bottle. He shrugged and quickly popped the cork out. A   
strange light erupted from the bottle and enveloped Genma before   
disappearing back inside. Genma blinked at it, then replaced the cork.   
"Must be sour."  
  
He tossed it in Ranma's direction and ambled out of the room. Ranma   
blinked. Thyme blinked. Ryoga groaned. Happosai waved at an airplane.  
  
Ranma picked up the bottle and looked at its contents. The liquid was   
sloshing around on its own, and an image began to form inside. A swirl   
of black and white soon became... a panda?  
  
"HEY!" he shouted, jumping up. "He didn't get... cured, did he?" His   
question was followed by faint noises from the kitchen:  
  
*Splash* "Oops! I'm so sorry, Mis...ter... Sao... tome?"  
  
"WOOHOO!!"  
  
Ranma quickly tore the cork out of the neck. "NO! WAIT!" Thyme shouted,   
too late. A blinding flash, and Ranma stood there with an eager   
expression on his face. Slapping the cork back where it belonged, he   
grabbed a nearby flower vase and upturned it over his head. Looking   
down and seeing no breasts, he emitted a shout of... not quite joy.  
  
"GROWF!"  
  
"I tried," Thyme said, shrugging, then glanced down at the floor. "Man,   
this is a pretty strong foundation..." *CRACK!* "Oh well." A sign   
smacked him upside the head. He looked up to see an angry panda glaring   
at him and waving signs around.  
  
[WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!]  
  
"You took his curse. It was sucked up by the bottle, now it's yours,"   
Thyme explained, standing up.  
  
[What about my other curse? The girl one?] Ranma asked with his signs.   
Thyme responded by handing him the bottle. Ranma looked into it and   
saw, to his surprise, the smoky image of a young girl floating in a   
spring. [So that means that if I open it again...] He quickly yanked   
the top off.  
  
There was an invisible flash of light, followed by a silent loud noise,   
combined with a nonexistent rush of power. All in all, a fancy way of   
saying that nothing happened.  
  
[I hate my life.] Ranma dropped gracelessly to the floor.   
  
Just then, Ryoga quickly woke up, and saw the jar sitting unguarded on   
the floor. He instantly leapt for it and tore the top off, shouting,   
"I'm free of my curse!" After the light disappeared, he eagerly dumped   
a glass of cold water on his head. He blinked and let out a whoop of   
joy at realizing that he was human. Then he noticed a panda stare at   
him for a second, then burst into laughter. He slowly looked down at   
himself. Two large mounds of flesh looked back up at him. Two large,   
firm, soft, round...  
  
He dropped to the floor like a brick, albeit quite a feminine one,   
blood trickling from his nose.  
  
Ranma, still chuckling, poured water on himself from a kettle, then   
absently sloshed the rest onto Ryoga. "Well, now I don't have to worry   
about that curse anymore..." he said happily, then frowned. "So, it   
gives the curse inside to whoever opens it, but you can't open it   
twice. And Pop is cured, so if he opened it now, it would be empty.   
Which means," he concluded, standing up, "that I could open it, and be   
cured!"  
  
He didn't notice Ryoga come to, who happened to hear the whole thing.   
*Ah HA,* he thought. *THAT'S the secret.* "So if my curse is in there   
now, then the next person who opens it will get it," he said aloud. He   
suddenly heard someone gasp. Whirling around, he found himself staring   
into Akane's deep, beautiful eyes. He also observed that she popped the   
cork out just as he turned to her.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" he shrieked, jumping   
backwards. As he did so, he bumped against a table, which held a flower   
vase on its top. It swayed precariously for a second, then splashed its   
contents all over Akane's head just as the flash of light started to   
dissipate.  
  
Ryoga stared in terror, horror, and fear at the small black piglet. *My   
secret is out. Akane knows I'm P-chan. She has my curse. She knows I'm   
P-chan. I'm dead. I'm very dead.*  
  
Ranma smirked and dumped some hot water over the piglet's head, turning   
the other way as he did so. Ryoga didn't think to look away, and soon   
found him staring at... a very flat, unfeminine chest.  
  
"Man, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Kijo grumbled, quickly slipping   
his clothes back on. "Now I've got an even worse curse." He glanced up   
at Ryoga. "What the hell's wrong with you?"  
  
"Gasp... pant... wheeze... Oh, nothing... pant... wheeze.." Ryoga   
insisted, slapping his chest in a vain attempt to get his heart started   
again. Ranma boggled at Kijo, then picked up the bottle. The image of   
Akane floating in a spring appeared, then faded away.  
  
"You're cursed with the spring of drowned Akane?" he asked, raising his   
eyebrows.  
  
"Well, I was," Kijo answered. "But now I'm a frickin' pig."  
  
"But there's more to it," Ranma started to say, but was interrupted by   
Happosai's return.  
  
"Miss me?" he laughed, snatching the bottle away. "Now I'm thirsty, so   
bugger off!" Cackling, he yanked the cork out. After the light faded   
away, he blinked and replaced the cork. He noticed that he had gained   
about five feet in height. He looked incredulously at the bottle and   
asked, "What the heck are you ingrates trying to feed me, anyway?"  
  
"Oh NO!" Ranma shouted, pointing at Happosai.  
  
"Now HE'S got the spring of drowned Ak-" Kijo started, but Ryoga   
slapped a hand over his mouth.  
  
"SHH!" he shushed.  
  
"What's that? Spring of drowned what?" Happosai asked, tipping a glass   
of water over his head. After the transformation, he looked down at   
himself. Two large mounds of flesh looked back up at him. Two large,   
firm, soft, round... "WOOHOO!!" he shouted, leaping into the air. "Now   
I have complete control over Akane's body!"  
  
Just then, Thyme dashed up and snatched the bottle. "Stop messing   
around with it! It's dangerous!" As he spoke, he yanked the top off.   
After the light faded away, he sighed in relief, feeling as if a ten-  
ton weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Which, actually, it   
had. Then, he noticed the stares. He looked down at himself slowly. He   
didn't have to look far.  
  
"I'm a MIDGET!" he shouted angrily. Ranma, Kijo, Ryoga, burst into   
laughter. Happosai squeezed his breasts.  
  
Genma skipped into the room right then. "I'mcuredI'mcuredI'mcured   
I'mcured!" he sang merrily.  
  
***  
  
In the kitchen, Kasumi's hand slipped, and she cut the tip of her   
finger ever so slightly. A pot fell to the floor with a clang, and the   
steam coming out of the rice-cooker assumed the shape of Robin   
William's head. "Bad omens," she muttered, reaching for the band-aids.  
  
***  
  
When the action had ceased, the dojo was a mess. Holes in the floor,   
ceiling, and walls were everywhere. Happosai, Genma, Ranma, Ryoga,   
Thyme, and Kijo all were lying on the floor in a heap, unconscious.   
Mousse had shown up sometime, and was lying in the bottom of a crater.  
  
Ranma groaned and sat up. He was at the top of the pile, and rolled   
off. He observed that he was in Akane's form. He glanced into the   
crater and saw a small pig poke its head out of Mousse's robes. Ryoga   
grumbled something unintelligible and crawled out from under the pile,   
as a girl. A duck jumped up and splashed itself with a nearby kettle,   
turning into Happosai. Thyme sat up, seemingly curse-free. Genma   
tottered to his full height, which happened to be roughly two feet.   
They all blinked, and stared at each other.  
  
"The bottle! Where is it?" Ryoga shouted, swiveling his head from side   
to side.  
  
Thyme sighed to himself. "Ahh... free of my burden..." he muttered   
happily. Ranma dumped the water on himself, turning male. Then he got   
a look at Genma, and burst out laughing.  
  
"Quiet son! Have you no respect for your elders?!" Genma shouted, and   
bit Ranma's ankle.  
  
Mousse, now human, grabbed Ranma's shirt. "What is the meaning of all   
this?" he demanded. Ranma brushed his hands off.  
  
"Just some hocus-porkus, Mousse, nothing to worry about," he answered   
nonchalantly. Mousse growled and launched a barrage of chains at him.  
  
"How dare you insult me in such a manner, Saotome!" he shouted angrily.  
  
Happosai looked down evilly at Genma's shrunken form, and jabbed a   
finger at him, accompanied by an evil speech. "Eeeheeheeeheeehee hee   
heh heh haaa..."  
  
Kijo blinked, finding himself spread-eagle on the floor. And unable to   
move. In fact, he felt downright crushed. "Hey guys?" he called,   
receiving no answer. "Help?"  
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing when they heard Thyme's chuckle.   
He stood in a hole in the wall, holding the bottle in his hand. "I   
don't need this anymore, but I imagine you all do!" He smirked, then   
leapt over the wall.  
  
"Hey, get back here!" Happosai shouted, running after him. "I want   
Akane's form!"  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Ranma shouted, stomping on his head and jumping over   
the wall. The rest of the crowd immediately followed. Save Kijo.  
  
"Heavy, dammit..." he groaned, struggling to get up. He blinked as he   
saw Thyme sneak back in the dojo. He glanced around, then picked up his   
shoe, which he had dropped. "Hey!" Kijo yelled as he turned to leave.  
  
"What?" Thyme asked, turning around.  
  
"Give me the jar!" Kijo demanded, squirming helplessly. Thyme looked   
down at him, then laughed.  
  
"Ah, so you've got my old curse, eh? Well, too bad for you. I lived   
with it for 16 years, so don't complain to ME about it." He smirked and   
held up the jar. "If you want it, take it." Kijo growled and stopped   
struggling.  
  
"If you insist..." he muttered, clenching his fists. Suddenly, a flash   
of light surrounded him, and he leapt to his feet. All his clothing,   
except for his boxers, had been burnt away, and he stood with a fire in   
his eyes. Then he abruptly fell on his butt. Thyme laughed.  
  
"No matter how little you wear, it still weighs an enormous amount. Too   
bad!" Thyme said, chuckling.  
  
"No matter..." Kijo growled, then flung his hand toward Thyme, and a   
red rope of energy swung forward, smacking his wrist. He cried out and   
dropped the bottle. Kijo lunged forward, barely managing to grab it. He   
yanked the top off and felt the flash of energy pass over him.   
  
As he triumphantly replaced the cork, Thyme suddenly shot his fist   
forward, shattering the bottle. Kijo watched in shock as the strange   
liquid poured all over his lap. Thyme smirked.  
  
"No hope for you now," he said, stepping back. "When you are touched   
with the liquid from the Vacuum, you are given an unalterable,   
unchangeable curse. In most cases, it is hideous luck, but there are   
others. And, with it destroyed, there's no way you can get rid of it."  
  
Kijo stared down at his hands, which were covered in the sticky fluid.   
His clothing curse was gone, he observed. But what of the new curse? An   
incurable one? How would he deal with that? "You... bastard..." he   
muttered, standing up slowly. "I challenge you!" he shouted, jabbing a   
finger at him. "One week from now, at the stadium at Furinkan High!"  
  
Thyme smiled at the challenge, and turned his back. "I'll be there."   
Just then, the rest of the gang leapt back over the wall.  
  
"There he is!"  
  
"Get him!"  
  
"Where's the bottle?!"  
  
"I want Akane's bodyyyy!!!"  
  
Kijo ignored them all, stalking off to find some clothes.  
  
  
End chapter 4  



	5. Fight! Fight! Fi- Huh?

CHAPTER 5  
  
There was nothing; a void. Wait, it was clearing up... A face. No   
discernable features were present, but it was a face. There was a hand.   
It was reaching to him. Then, there was a voice.  
  
"Kijo? What's wrong?"  
  
At least that's what he thought it said. He wasn't entirely sure. Then,   
he saw a another body. His own.  
  
"Why are you crying?"  
  
He looked down at the two figures; his own image clear, the other was   
nothing more than a fuzzy outline.  
  
"Mommy's here."  
  
A tear rolled down his cheek, and slipped into his lips. It tasted like   
brimstone.  
  
***  
  
Kijo's eyes slowly opened. He blinked, then sat up. He gingerly touched   
his cheek, and felt wetness. What had he been dreaming about? He shook   
his head, then stood up. No matter. There were other things to think   
about.  
  
Like his new curse. Whatever it was. And his upcoming fight.  
  
Now fully awake, he stood up and pulled a shirt on. Ranma had beaten   
Thyme, so he wasn't invincible. Kijo had a chance. Thyme was built like   
a tank, and probably stronger than one, too, so he would need to use   
extremely powerful blows. He briefly recalled when Thyme splashed the   
Magic Vacuum water over him, and knew he would have no trouble doing   
that.  
  
***  
  
On a hilltop overlooking Tokyo, a lone figure stood. A ragged brown   
cloak whipped in the breeze, and the figure looked upward. A female   
voice made an announcement to whomever might be listening; "Kijo   
Kuraki, I will find you, no matter what! I've been waiting too long!"   
She clenched her fist as she said this, and lowered it. "Just wait."  
  
***  
  
The week passed swiftly, without sign of Thyme, or Kijo's mysterious   
curse.   
  
He stood stoically in the middle of the ball field, with his arms   
crossed, his face filled with an expression of determination. There was   
a crowd beginning to gather, and he glanced around at them. From the   
easy atmosphere, he figured this must not be an uncommon event.  
  
Then, Thyme appeared. He made a real entrance, in an almost subtle way.   
He jumped in, unnoticed until he hit the ground. He was dressed in his   
full outfit, overcoat and all. He slowly and methodically removed each   
item until he wore only a white muscle shirt, black pants, and shoes.   
He smirked at Kijo, and gestured that he was ready. Silence followed.  
  
Kijo nodded, and Thyme charged forward. Kijo took one step forward,   
preparing himself...  
  
***  
  
The entire crowd blinked at once. Thyme stood in the middle of the   
arena, his fist outstretched and angled slightly downward. A long   
streak in the dirt led to Kijo's body, which lay unmoving in a crumpled   
mess of bleachers.  
  
No one made a sound.  
  
Thyme stood up straight and turned around to pick up his clothing. The   
audience looked over to Kijo to see if he would get back up, but he was   
fully unconscious.  
  
Thyme left without a word, and then conversation picked back up.  
  
"Man, that was a let-down!"  
  
Kijo lay unmoving.  
  
***  
  
"GOD, I'm lucky I'm frigging ALIVE, for god's sake!" Kijo ranted, lying   
on his bed, a block of ice strapped to his chest. "I mean, have you   
ever been hit by a train? Well, me neither, but that was WORSE. Like   
being hit by a jet plane going mach 38, or something. God."  
  
Ryoga nodded, mumbling the occasional "Uh huh," "Right," and "I'm   
sure." He was busy observing the numerous flight patterns the leaves   
took when descending from the trees, on that bright, sunny morning. He   
wished he was outside. But nope, he was in here, offering his   
condolences.  
  
"I must've looked PATHETIC. I didn't land ONE blow! I was down in about   
FOUR seconds! God!"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"I... I have to challenge him again! My honor won't rest until I do!"  
  
"Right."  
  
"As soon as I can feel my body, I'm going back out there! I'll show him   
who's boss!"  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"You said it! He'll regret he ever gave me that curse! I'll bash him up   
so bad he'll look like some squashed melon under some fat sumo   
wrestler's foot!"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Thanks Ryoga, I really needed that."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"You listening?"  
  
***  
  
"Kijo, I know you're near, I can sense it!" the cloaked woman cried,   
clenching her fist. "Now let's see... One o'clock train to THIS place   
in Nerima, but the four o'clock train goes to THIS place in Nerima.   
Which one is better?" She scratched her head, ignoring the groans of   
the customers standing in line behind her.  
  
"Gosh," she exclaimed, "I could be here forever!"  
  
***  
  
"Okay, I'm ready for you THIS time!" Kijo shouted at Thyme, as they   
stood in the arena again. Thyme smirked and rushed him. Kijo waited   
until just the right moment...  
  
"What the...? He's running away!" Hiroshi cried.  
  
"Yeah, he looks terrified. Thyme missed him by a mile!" Daisuke added.  
  
Kijo gasped as sweat ran in rivulets all over his body. He had seen his   
life flash before his eyes, even though Thyme was about 12 feet away   
when he started running. *Okay,* he thought. *Get a grip.*  
  
"Alright, NOW bring i-" he started, lifting his head, only to see   
Thyme's fist bearing down. He had just enough time to scream like a   
little girl before everything went black.  
  
***  
  
"You seen a boy around here, about this tall, probably causing a bunch   
of bright flashes and loud explosions?"  
  
The old man looked at the cloaked woman and raised his eyebrows. "Well,   
Ma'am, I'd say you've come to the right place."  
  
***  
  
Ranma watched through half-lidded eyes as Kijo made his announcement to   
Thyme. He was sporting a huge block of ice on his head, and was   
stuttering so bad and sweating so hard that Thyme was apparently using   
every ounce of willpower he had not to burst out laughing.  
  
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I... I... I... I-I..." Kijo started, looking   
fearfully up at the other boy.  
  
"Y-y-y-y-you what?" Thyme asked mockingly.  
  
"Ch... ch.... ch... cha... chall..." Kijo stuttered.  
  
"Okay, I'll be there. Tomorrow. But this is the last time, got it? Give   
it up after this one."  
  
Kijo nodded, grabbed his ice block to keep it from falling off, and   
darted away.  
  
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "No WAY he's gonna make it," he said   
aloud.  
  
***  
  
Kijo and Thyme stood across from each other, Kijo much more composed   
than he had been the other day. The audience watched with only mild   
interest. At Kijo's signal of readiness, Thyme charged again.  
  
Kijo darted aside and dashed away while watching Thyme over his   
shoulder. He stopped, took a deep breath, then faced him and assumed a   
stance. He bent his knees a little, but kept his back perfectly   
straight and vertical, with his hands poised in front of his chest.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga leaned against the bleachers, watching. "Kung fu. The   
mantis," Ryoga stated.  
  
Ranma looked over at him, chewing on a piece of curry bread. "Yeah,   
so?"  
  
"Well, the mantis is where the fighter focuses all of his power into a   
single devastating strike, right? Uses his ki?" Ryoga said.  
  
"Yeah? So he uses his... oh." Ranma perked up and began watching more   
intently. This might prove to be interesting.  
  
Thyme rushed at Kijo again, pulling his fist back slightly... and Kijo   
didn't run away. As soon as Thyme was within range, he jabbed forward   
with two fingers, an almost maniacal look in his eyes...  
  
And missed. Thyme twisted out of the way, and delivered a counter   
punch. Kijo barely managed to dodge, and ended up getting batted away.   
He wasn't hit by the full brunt of Thyme's blow, so he was uninjured.  
  
Instead of letting Thyme charge him again, Kijo darted forward, still   
in the mantis stance. As Thyme made to punch him again, he jabbed   
forward with two fingers, and hit him directly in the sternum. Thyme   
immediately toppled backwards, doubled over in obvious pain. He   
clutched his chest with his eyes squeezed shut, and a small grunt of   
pain escaped his lips. Kijo sighed as if a huge tension had been taken   
off of his shoulders, then tightened his expression and assumed the   
position again.  
  
Thyme stood up slowly, watching Kijo out of the corner of his eye. He   
stretched out his arm, and beckoned. Kijo ran forward, then ducked at   
the last minute and rolled between his legs. After passing under, he   
rooted his feet and pushed himself upwards, sliding his fingertips over   
Thyme's back. He gripped Thyme's shoulders, leapt into the air, and   
drove him back down to the ground with his knees, where Thyme landed on   
his back. He pulled his hand back, two fingers outstretched, and jabbed   
downward.  
  
Thyme interrupted him by swinging his legs up and kicking Kijo in the   
back. Kijo lurched forward and his fingers plunged into the ground,   
causing a cloud of dirt to burst into his face. Thyme booted him away   
and stood up. Kijo landed on his back, and slowly sat up.  
  
"So, have you discovered your curse yet?" Thyme called. "Weakness? Or   
is that just natural?" He chuckled. "Bring it on, little man, bring it   
on..."  
  
Kijo trembled, feeling his anger growing. He concentrated on this, on   
how quickly Thyme became a bastard after achieving his own personal   
goal, how little he cared about others, and his mocking arrogance.   
Truly someone who needed to be punished. He concentrated on his own   
hatred. There were two main ways to truly bring out your ki; calmness   
and hate. He chose the latter in this case.  
  
"I..." Kijo started, closing his eyes. "... Will give you ALL the   
humiliation you NEED!" As he shouted the last part, he shot forward,   
surrounded by a blazing aura. Thyme jumped forward himself, and then   
they collided.  
  
They both fell to the ground at the same time, landing on their backs.   
Kijo had a footprint on his chest, just below his neck, and Thyme had   
two rips in the sides of his shirt, revealing several small dots that   
looked like fingerprints. They both sat up slowly, shaking their heads.   
They stared at each other, then leapt to their feet.  
  
Kijo steadied himself, then started to do what appeared to be a dance   
in Thyme's direction. Thyme approached him, then landed a vicious   
upward punch on Kijo's midsection while his arms were raised above his   
head. Neither of them moved. A red aura quickly built up around Kijo,   
who suddenly slammed his arms down on Thyme's shoulders.  
  
Thyme dropped to the ground, then pushed himself into a handstand and   
tried slamming his feet into Kijo, who had leapt away with a giddy   
expression on his face.  
  
***  
  
"How'd he do that?" Hiroshi cried, blinking.  
  
"Yeah, he took the whole blow without flinching!" Daisuke added.  
  
"Tai Chi," Ranma answered. "Tai Chi masters can absorb an opponent's   
blow, eliminating its force and making it useless."  
  
"But, can't this guy punch through titanium or something?" Hiroshi   
asked. "That's a lot of force to absorb!"  
  
Ranma didn't reply.  
  
***  
  
Thyme advanced toward Kijo slowly, his fingers twitching in agitation.   
Kijo held his hands above his head for a minute, then bolted toward   
Thyme as fast as he could. When he was halfway, he dived forward, his   
aura coming to life. He slapped the ground with the back of one hand,   
spiraled forward, then brought his hand back and struck the ground ten   
feet in front of Thyme.  
  
He slammed into Thyme like a rocket. The audience watched them both   
sail out of the arena, and quickly rushed to follow. Ranma leapt over   
the bleachers and saw them land in the center of the street.  
  
Kijo was an animal. He threw himself at Thyme, his style nothing more   
than super-charged chaotic strikes. Thyme blocked several in quick   
succession, then slammed his foot into Kijo's chest. He flew backwards,   
crashing into the cement wall surrounding the school. He appeared   
unhurt, however.  
  
He stood up and assumed an odd stance, his eyes closed. He had one leg   
jutted forward, the heel resting on the ground while the toe pointed   
straight up, and he was kneeling on the other. His left arm was held   
forward, the hand hanging limply. His right hand was held back over his   
head, his fingers in a claw-like position.  
  
Thyme looked around rapidly at his surroundings, then glanced back at   
Kijo. A monstrous aura had formed around him, projecting a forty-foot   
image of himself. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he leapt forward   
into the air, his right arm still pulled back. With a deafening yell,   
he swung forward, five spears of energy projecting from his fingertip.   
Thyme rolled forward, dodged the full attack and stood upright behind   
Kijo. He glanced over at a cement truck.  
  
***  
  
"Wow!" Daisuke breathed. "Didja SEE that?!"  
  
"Hell yeah, man!" Hiroshi answered.  
  
Ranma frowned, noticing that Kijo hadn't yet moved from his hunched-  
over position. And Thyme was walking towards... a cement mixer? His   
eyes widened as Thyme glanced it over, then ripped the entire mixing   
part off with his hands. Thyme ignore the frightened shouts of the   
operator and turned towards Kijo.  
  
"Jeezus!" cried Hiroshi. "If he doesn't move now, he's gonna get   
creamed!"  
  
Ryoga barely nodded.  
  
***  
  
"I'll make sure you STAY DOWN!" Thyme cried, leaping high into the air   
with his burden held above his head. At the peak of his arc, he thrust   
it downward with all of his strength.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Hiroshi cried. Daisuke blinked in grotesque anticipation,   
waiting for the crunch. It never came.  
  
Everyone looked on in amazement at the sight before them. Kijo, still   
hunched over, held one hand in the air. The cement mixer rested on his   
fingertips. Thyme landed nearby.  
  
"How the HELL...?" Ryoga asked no one in particular.  
  
Kijo stood up slowly, the street below him starting to crackle. He   
turned toward Thyme, finally showing his eyes. The force of his aura   
was so great they had seemed to dissolve into twin pools of glaring   
white. With a feral scream he hurtled the mixer at Thyme's stationary   
figure, who merely shrugged and stopped the object, holding it in front   
of him.   
  
Because of that, he never knew what hit him.  
  
***  
  
Kijo stepped forward, and, with an enraged cry, swung his right arm in   
a diagonal motion from upper-right to lower-left. This sent a monstrous   
wave of energy at Thyme, slicing the mixer in half. This was   
immediately followed by the same attack from the left arm. He followed   
this by leaping into the air and jabbing downwards at his opponent. The   
punches sent pistons of ki slamming into his helpless form.  
  
He dropped Thyme on his descent with a charged-up kick to the head. As   
he straddled the nearly unconscious boy's chest, he launched a rapid   
assault of more super-charged strikes, finishing with a power blow that   
rocked the surrounding area and left them both in the center of a wide,   
shallow crater. Finally, he slumped forward, unconscious.   
  
*Three to four seconds, tops. Amazing,* Ranma thought. Suddenly, a   
shout rang out.  
  
"Kijo! At last I have you!" The speaker was a tall, cloaked woman   
standing on top of what was left of Furinkan's wall. She quickly jumped   
down onto Kijo's still form, and gripped his shirt. After staring at   
him for a few seconds, she began slapping him briskly across the face.  
  
"Er, Miss?" Ranma tentatively asked.  
  
"What?" she snapped, turning towards him.  
  
"Um, never mind," he said quickly, backing up. He shot a questioning   
look at Ryoga, who shrugged helplessly.  
  
"Wake up, stupid, wake UP! What's the matter with you? You're not THIS   
much of a weakling! WAKE UP!!" As she yelled the last part, she slapped   
him hard across the face with a glowing palm. Ranma raised his   
eyebrows.  
  
Kijo mumbled something and covered his face with his arms. The woman   
leaned back and took a deep breath.  
  
"WAKE UP, YOU MISERABLE BOY!!!"  
  
"GYAAH!" Kijo shrieked, leaping backwards. He blinked, then gingerly   
touched his reddened cheeks. "Who? Wha? Eh?" he stuttered, staring at   
the woman.  
  
"Don't you remember, Kijo? You couldn't have forgotten, could you?" she   
said in a melodramatic tone. Everyone held their breath, wondering what   
Kijo had done to anger her.  
  
Kijo stared at her, then made gestured for her to remove her hood. She   
did so, revealing a breathtaking face. She had long, flowing dark brown   
hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her face showed the perfect   
combination of inner softness and an iron will. Overall, an exquisite   
specimen of her species.  
  
Kijo blinked, then whispered so low that it was barely audible, "Mom?"  
  
"...I didn't think so," she replied, wrapping her arms around him. As   
everyone quietly watched the warm little reunion, Daisuke nudged   
Hiroshi.  
  
"Hey," he whispered, "isn't she..."  
  
"Pretty hot? Yep. Especially for someone's mom," Hiroshi replied.  
  
"...You guys are sick," Ryoga muttered.  
  
Kijo's mother sat back, sniffled a little, then lurched forward and   
grabbed Kijo fiercely, bawling. "AAAHHHH!! I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU   
FOR SO LONG!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!"  
  
Kijo couldn't help but join in.  
  
"........" was the general feeling given off by the crowd.  
  
"Um..." Hiroshi trailed off.  
  
"Heartwarming?" Daisuke suggested.  
  
"Pathetic?" Hiroshi countered.  
  
Ranma stared at the wailing duo, and his father's voice spoke in his   
head. *Not very manly.* He glanced at Ryoga, who looked about ready to   
cry himself. *Geez, whatta wimp.*  
  
***  
  
"So, tell me how you've been!" Mikiri, Kijo's mother, chirped. She sat   
in his kitchen, perched on the table. He nervously looked up at her   
from his chair.  
  
"Er... fine, Mom..." he said slowly.  
  
"Haven't been getting into trouble, have you?" she asked, wagging a   
finger. At his nervous look, she laughed and said, "Well, it runs in   
the family, anyway. So, tell me all about it!" She leaned forward   
intently.  
  
"Um, about what?" he asked, feeling very much like a specimen. A living   
one. Like one of those little lizards that looks up and sees an   
enormous face peering down at it, and is frozen on the spot.  
  
"About the trouble you're in!" she answered, as if it were obvious. At   
his even more nervous look, she inquired, "What, did you kill someone?   
Impregnate some girl and leave her? Rape someone?"  
  
"NO!" he shouted quickly, looking up at her in shock. "Of course not!"  
  
"Then, if it's not that bad, tell me!" she demanded, starting to look   
irate.  
  
"Um, just some fights," he answered evasively. Mikiri looked down at   
him through half-lidded eyes.  
  
"That's aaall...?" she asked slyly. "With who?"  
  
"Er..." he mumbled, before he was conveniently interrupted by the wall   
exploding. Both Kurakis stared through the gaping hole, at a familiar   
Chinese boy...  
  
"HA! Kuraki, I have discovered my cure! I have come to laugh in your   
face!" Pen Zan announced, jabbing a finger in the air. He held an odd   
looking gadget under his arms that resembled a small motor.  
  
"...You?" Kijo inquired. He glanced nervously at Mikiri, who had an   
amused expression on her face.  
  
"Why yes, you pathetic slacker, I have been searching for a cure to   
what *you* caused, and have discovered it! And I'm here to show it to   
you, and let you know that NO ONE brings down the mighty Pen Zan, and   
keeps him down for very long!" He smirked and held the gadget up like   
it was a trophy.  
  
"Listen, that's over, right? You beat me, it's not my fau-" Kijo said   
tiredly, glancing at his ruined wall.  
  
"WHAT?!" Mikiri shouted, flopping on her side. "You lost to him?! Why,   
he doesn't look THAT tough!"  
  
Pen shot her a glare that could kill flowers. "I just happen to be the   
incarnate of invincibility, for your information!" he announced   
proudly.  
  
Mikiri burst out laughing. Pen glared at her, then said, "Well, I would   
beat some respect into you if you were not a fragile woma-" She   
interrupted him by sending a small bolt of energy slamming into his   
Very Best Friends. He responded by dramatically rolling his eyes into   
the back of his head and flopping to the floor with all the grace of a   
dying fish, clutching himself.  
  
"... That was cruel," Kijo said. "Even if he is a twit."  
  
"He's a chauvinist!" Mikiri cried, glaring down at his groaning form.   
"I hate pigs!"  
  
"Ah... ha ha... heh..." Pen chuckled weakly as he brought himself up to   
a standing position. "I still have my cure." Mikiri rolled her eyes and   
booted his gadget out of the house.  
  
"AAAAUUUGGHHH!!! MY CURE!!" he shrieked, dashing off after it.  
  
"So, he must be one of those guys you pissed off," Mikiri said matter-  
of-factly.  
  
"Umm, you might say that." Kijo scratched the back of his neck. Before   
he could continue, the floor swelled upwards, followed by a burst of   
energy. Mikiri stared into the settling dust cloud, while Kijo stared   
at his ruined roof. Ryoga rose through the hole in the floor.  
  
"Where could I be now?" he said ponderously, glancing around. He found   
himself nose-to-nose with Mikiri. "Yah!" he cried, backing up quickly.  
  
"That's Ryoga, a friend of mine," Kijo informed her, dropping his gaze   
from his new skylight.  
  
"Oh," Mikiri said, brightening. "That's nice. I'm Mikiri Kuraki," she   
greeted, pumping Ryoga's arm.  
  
"Umm..." Ryoga replied, embarrassed. "Kijo's mom? Hey, aren't you a   
master of ki, also?" Kijo looked slightly sheepish as his mom answered.  
  
"Kijo? He's no master! He's just a pup! I, however..." she trailed off,   
placing her hand on her chest in an exaggerated manner. Ryoga leaned   
forward excitedly.  
  
"He showed us this really cool light show with his hands, and said he   
learned it from you," he said, watching her intently. She smiled and   
lifted a hand up. It began glowing white, and the light suddenly took   
the shape of a multicolored flower. It morphed into a writhing snake   
crawling along her arm, and then a dragon soaring around in small   
circles. It ended in a bright flash of colors.  
  
"Something like that?" she said, awaiting his answer eagerly. He   
blinked, then a smile crept across his face.  
  
"Awesome! Way cooler than Kijo's!" he answered, missing Kijo's wince.   
"Know any more?"  
  
"Of course, kid. But, a good magician never gives away too much at   
once." She smirked at Ryoga's disappointed expression. She suddenly   
glanced over at Kijo, and smiled warmly. "It's so wonderful to be   
around you again..." she said in a tired, satisfied voice.  
  
Kijo smiled too, then frowned. There was something bothering him, and   
he had to voice it. "Say, Mom? How come I haven't seen you for... ten   
years, anyway?"  
  
Mikiri's smile froze on her lips, as if it had stopped being authentic   
and had been replaced by a fake one. "They couldn't hold me," she   
whispered. "I was stronger than them. They couldn't keep me locked   
up." Kijo's eyes widened in surprise and confusion, while Ryoga   
suddenly looked extremely nervous and curious.  
  
"Wha... What's that mean?" Kijo asked haltingly.  
  
"We've been hunted, Kijo, for years..." Mikiri started, a tired and   
far-off look in her eyes. "For revenge, and our power." She sighed,   
then began her tale.  
  
"Unparalleled control of ki has run in the family for generations. Your   
grandparents have it, their parents had it, and so on. The use of it   
has been kept fairly low-key; challenges, difficult tasks, and so on.   
The truth is, it goes much deeper. There is a style of our art that is   
devoted to its purest form: death.  
  
"Your grandfather, on your dad's side, was a master of this dark art.  
  
"It started when he was staying at a Chinese family's house. He was   
working for them for a short time, with plans to leave soon. One night,   
the family was attacked by a group of assassins. He had no idea why. He   
had grown attached to them, and took their deaths personally. After   
asking around, he discovered that the family had angered the Chinese   
government. He took it upon himself to avenge his former employers.  
  
"He went to the nearest governmental building, which happened to be a   
research laboratory, and began slaughtering. He attacked with no mercy   
until he was sure that every last person there was dead. He also   
happened to notice a helicopter flying away, too late.  
  
"He became hunted. He met each attempt on his life with full ferocity,   
and destroyed his attackers every time. By this time the government   
must have been thoroughly interested in his abilities, and attempted to   
capture him. They tried to draw him out by capturing his son. However,   
they quickly realized that the boy possessed the same power as his   
father, and felt they had no need for the man. When he came to rescue   
his son, he was killed by a trap they set for him.  
  
"They raised the boy up as a lab rat, trying to discover the secret to   
his power. They never did. He managed to break out years later, and has   
sworn himself to destroy them. While he was there, he discovered that   
the whole scheme had been operated by one branch of research, not the   
entire government. Simply a corrupt man of science in charge of it all.  
  
"They hunt all Kurakis to this day, including myself. I was captured   
when you were six, and imprisoned in the strongest confinement you   
could imagine. I eventually escaped, though, and found you." Mikiri   
finished her story with tears dripping down her face. Kijo stared at   
her in horror and amazement. Ryoga was torn between disappearing and   
staying to hear the rest of the story.  
  
"That boy..." Kijo started. "...is my father, isn't he?"  
  
Mikiri shook her head slowly. "No, not is, was." Kijo looked at her   
with wide eyes.  
  
"He... He's de...?" Kijo sputtered, unable to finish the dread word.   
Mikiri hesitated, then gave the slightest hint of a nod. Kijo stared at   
the floor in disbelief, suddenly noticing the gaping hole there. He   
would have to fix that, he knew. Just like he would have to fix   
everything else. All the little things, like his ceiling, his wall, his   
perceptions... He suddenly slumped back into his chair, trembling.   
Mikiri only gazed at him softly.  
  
Ryoga tugged in his collar nervously. The family value angst in the   
room was almost overpowering. *I thought I had troubles,* he thought   
bitterly. *At least my father hasn't died like a lab rat.*   
  
Kijo sat there, silent, occasionally shivering. Then, he lifted his   
head and asked, "Mom? If Grandpa had the power, and Dad did too, how   
did you get it?"   
  
Mikiri looked over at him and answered, "It's transferable. A Kuraki   
with the power has the ability to transfer it to their 'partner.' This   
was one of the reasons they studied us so extensively."  
  
Kijo's eyes widened "'Partner...?' Oh, god, they didn't..." he trailed   
off, staring at her in horror.  
  
"Rape me?" Mikiri finished, and Kijo nodded, his face pale. She   
snorted, relieving a massive amount of his tension. "No, they couldn't   
get near me. I was kept in a small room that was strong enough to   
withstand powerful explosions, but they couldn't touch me. They   
couldn't disable me, tranquilize me, or wound me. It's like locking up   
a prisoner of war while he still has his rifle."  
  
"But couldn't they have injected gas through a small hole, or put   
something in your food?" Ryoga asked carefully.  
  
"The gas wouldn't work, because I could close off and destroy anything   
they put near the walls, and there's a ki technique that eliminates   
toxins from food. It gets rid of a lot of good vitamins, and burns the   
heck out of it, but at least it's safe," Mikiri answered. Kijo looked   
extremely relieved, and a little embarrassed.  
  
"So they kept you locked up for ten years without ever even getting   
near you?" Ryoga asked, raising his eyebrows. "Then it was all a big   
waste of time for them."  
  
"Pretty much," Mikiri confirmed with obvious pride.  
  
"But wouldn't that mean..." Kijo started nervously, "... that they're   
following you?"  
  
"Aw, I lost 'em for sure," Mikiri answered, sounding quite sure of   
herself. Kijo didn't feel quite as confident.  
  
"Well, they're probably pretty persistent..." Kijo said, nervously   
ringing his hands. "They wouldn't just give up..."  
  
"Aw, we can take 'em," Mikiri announced. She flashed the victory sign,   
and produced a larger glowing replica. "We're Kurakis."  
  
  
End Chapter 5 


End file.
